WATCH: Emma Raducanu stars in Sports Direct’s £6m Christmas ad alongside Declan Rice, Jack Grealish

A laughing Emma Raducanu

First there were major sponsorship announcements, then it was the premiere of the new Bond film and now Emma Raducanu is appearing in her first Christmas ad after joining Sports Direct’s 2021 cast.

Raducanu’s meteoric rise continues as she is among the who’s who of British sports featuring in Sports Direct’s 2021 Christmas campaign, which reportedly had a budget of £6 million.

Having made the tennis world sit up and take note of her talent by winning 10 consecutive matches at the US Open en route to becoming the first qualifier to win the US Open, Raducanu has become one of the hottest properties in the world of sport.

Emma Raducanu whirlwind ride continues: From big sponsorship deal to getting her own Spitting Image to Bond premiere

And she proved her star quality as she is among 16 sports stars to feature in the ad.

Raducanu dons her tennis whites and gets pelted by snow before shouting “new balls, please”.

Declan Rice from West Ham, Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, Everton duo Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Chelsea’s Mason Mount, and Chelsea and England Women player Fran Kirby lead the footballer line-up.

Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and rugby trio Maro Itoje, Anthony Watson and Harriet Millar-Mills also feature.

“After the challenges the nation has faced over the past year we’re excited to encourage everyone to Go All Out this Christmas with the help of some of the country’s biggest sporting legends,” Beckie Stanion of Sports Direct told Mirror.co.uk.

“Whether you’re working on legs like Jack Grealish, sprints like Jessica Ennis-Hill or backhands like Emma Raducanu, it’s time to shrug off the cold, step out and make this season your best one yet.”

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