From tennis blanks to dirt bikes: Emma Raducanu gets muddy at motocross

She intimidates opponents with her 100mph serve – now Emma Raducanu has her need for speed satisfied in a return to motocross.

The tennis star returned on a bike to the Canada Heights track in Kent for a Nike advert. Miss Raducanu, 19, who has a £100,000-a-year endorsement deal with the brand, wore a black top, trousers and helmet, and also filmed herself using a selfie stick.

On winning the US Open, she revealed: “I did go-karting for a year or two when I was younger and then moved on to motocross… but I couldn’t keep going as I went. that my tennis career was progressing.”

She previously posted childhood photos of herself riding a Kawasaki, including a close-up of her face in a green helmet.

She wrote: “it’s the good days on my baby kawa #motocross.”

Miss Raducanu played a hodgepodge of sports as a child, encouraged by her father to try horse riding, swimming, basketball, golf and skiing.

No fear: As a child, on a Kawasaki bike, left and donning a helmet for the Nike ad

Her victory at the US Open saw her named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021 and sparked a flurry of sponsorship deals.

She was dripping in £40,000 worth of Tiffany jewelery when she stormed into the second round of the Australian Open last month after signing an estimated £2million deal with the luxury jeweler in September.

She is also a global brand ambassador for British Airways and Evian and recently signed a lucrative deal with Dior.

She could now be worth £6million according to experts.

Last week, she appeared to poke fun at her critics in a 20-second Nike ad that showed her kicking balls as the words “distracted”, “perfect”, “lucky shot” and “wonder at once” appeared on the screen.

Speeding up: Emma Raducanu flanked by two other runners at Canada Heights in Kent