Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon prize money halved after Sabalenka defeat

Daily Record

5 days ago

Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon campaign came to an end on Monday as she was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka.
Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon journey brought her £152k in winnings before her exit at the hands of top seed Aryna Sabalenka. The 22 year old British ace, who stunned the tennis world with her US Open win in 2021, cruised past Mimi Xu and Marketa Vondrousova in early rounds, but struggled against the formidable Belarussian, bowing out in straight sets.
Despite creating opportunities that could have altered the match's outcome and increased her prize to £240,000, Raducanu will see a significant portion of her earnings diminish due to taxes. Tax professionals speculate she'll face hefty cuts, with Paul Barham, tax partner at Forvis Mazars, explained: "Assuming that Emma is an additional rate taxpayer (with other income over £125,140), the tax rate that will apply to the prize money will be 45 per cent resulting in a UK tax liability of £68,400."
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He further noted: "Assuming Emma is resident in the UK, she is also likely to have Class Four National Insurance to pay at two per cent on this income resulting in a National Insurance liability of £3,040. Therefore, her take home pay after tax and NIC would be £80,560.
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"These figures represent the liabilities before taking into account any deductible expenses such as travel and accommodation costs and coaching fees. These expenses can be deducted from the taxable amount and will therefore reduce the final tax bill."
After her defeat to Sabalenka, Raducanu was visibly shaken as she stated in her post-match press conference that it was tough to focus on the positives, reports the Mirror.
"I think I'm just very self-critical," she remarked. "It's hard to see. Of course, I'm very proud of being competitive on the court. I think I would rather that than it being completely one way.
"But, yes, there are positives. Right now, it's so soon after the match. I think it's better for me to kind of feel a bit of the pain right now and then process it better that way.
"I think it's difficult to see that right now, having just come off the court. It's hard to take a loss like that. At the same time, I'm playing Aryna, who is No.1 in the world, a great champion. I have to be proud of my effort today."
Following her triumph over Elise Mertens, Sabalenka has set her sights on the quarters, where she'll face Laura Siegemund. A Wimbledon win could net her a staggering £3million prize fund, and with several top seeds out, she's currently the outright favourite.