Emma Raducanu appears to have been replaced by key sponsor Dior, with the luxury fashion company announcing Zheng Qinwen as their new global brand ambassador. The Brit joined forces with Dior in the autumn of 2021, just six weeks after she had clinched the US Open title as an 18-year-old.

Raducanu has failed to return to the form that saw her taste Grand Slam success in only her second Major.

She is now ranked at No. 60 in the world but will be vying for glory at the Australian Open this month.

Zheng enjoyed a strong season on the court last year as she reached the Australian Open final in January before defeating Donna Vekic in the Olympic Games decider to clinch a gold medal.

The 22-year-old progressed to the quarter-finals of the US Open for the second year running and also reached the showpiece match at the season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

And following her link up with Dior, the brand said she “embodies the elegance and boldness of Dior style, a femininity in perpetual motion”.

The firm added: “More than ever, this unique alliance seals the house’s commitment to empowerment and self-assertion, spotlighting the multiple connections that unite the worlds of sport and couture.”

Raducanu, meanwhile, endured a tricky year as she was thwarted in the second round of the Australian Open and the first round of the US Open.

The talented 22-year-old did enjoy her best Grand Slam run since her triumph at Flushing Meadows, however, when she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in the summer.

And she is preparing to face world No. 27 Ekaterina Alexandrova in her opening match at Melbourne Park this year.

Raducanu has signed a host of sponsorship deals since bursting onto the tennis scene as a teenager and also works with the likes of Tiffany & Co and British Airways.

And her agent Max Eisenbud explained how the deal with Dior came about as he appeared on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast last year.

He said: “She ended up with Dior so let’s just say we called Dior and we’re like, ‘Are you guys watching this? Why don’t you guys come out and watch?’

“So we’re identifying maybe seven, eight, nine, 10 brands and we’ll start inviting them. We have a suite - we’re entertaining them, they’re watching the matches, trying to gauge what they think of everything. And then from there we start putting everything together.”