Emma Raducanu has questioned the logic of the Australian Open schedule after being handed a late-night first-round match less than 48 hours after arriving in Melbourne. Britain’s number one described the situation as “very difficult”, saying it “doesn’t really make as much sense” given the lack of time to adapt to conditions at the season’s first Grand Slam.
The 23-year-old only reached Melbourne late on Friday following a delayed flight from Hobart, where she had been competing in a warm-up tournament. Despite the tournament’s new Sunday start, which splits the first round across three days, Raducanu was scheduled to play on the opening night. She faces Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, also 23, who broke into the world’s top 100 last year but has dropped to 195th after a six-month injury lay-off.
Raducanu’s match is scheduled second in the evening session on Margaret Court Arena, following a men’s best-of-five contest between Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby. That raises the possibility of her not walking on court until close to midnight, a scenario that has drawn criticism in previous years as matches have stretched deep into the early hours.
“I think it’s very difficult to be scheduling women’s matches after a potential five-set match,” Raducanu said. “To me, it doesn’t really make as much sense. The initial reaction is probably, ‘Oh, it’s a late one.’ Then you deal with it, try and shift your day and adjust.”
With only one practice session available before her opener, Raducanu has pushed training into the evening to better prepare for the unusual timing. She admitted she has rarely competed that late, aside from one night match at the US Open.
“This is a new experience,” she said. “Something I need to learn to do. Hopefully if I’m playing this game for a long time, I’ll probably be in this situation again, so it’s a good learning step.”
Raducanu arrives in Melbourne seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in over three years, reflecting her return to the world’s top 30 after an encouraging 2025 season. However, her off-season work with coach Francisco Roig was hampered by a foot injury, and her recent form has been uneven. In Hobart, she suffered a timid defeat to world number 204 Taylah Preston, often playing passively and struggling to impose herself.
“I haven’t really taken the results in the past few weeks too seriously,” Raducanu said. “I know I’m working my way into it, and even this week I’m still on the way to where I want to be.”
Despite the compressed schedule and late-night slot, Raducanu remains focused on adapting quickly and making the most of her circumstances as she begins her Australian Open campaign at Melbourne Park.
