Emma Raducanu closes in on key rankings boost with opening Australian Open win

Oli Dickson Jefford 18 Jan 2026 12:01 PM

Emma Raducanu celebrates during a match.

Emma Raducanu kickstarted her Australian Open campaign with a confidence-boosting win over Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the opening round of action on Sunday.

Despite complaints about her late-night schedule, 28th seed Raducanu navigated a slow start to defeat her Thai rival 6-4, 6-1 and progress to the second round of the ‘Happy Slam’.

Raducanu had looked far from convincing heading into the Australian Open, with the star struggling at both the United Cup and Hobart International before her Melbourne campaign.

The Brit had also dipped in form during the closing stages of 2025, with doubts about the 23-year-old’s form and fitness still circling heading into the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year.

She was handed what appeared to be a favourable opening-round draw on paper against Sawangkaew, with the world No 195 still working her way back from injury issues she sustained midway through 2025.

The Thai stormed to an early break lead and had points for a double break, but Raducanu held firm after a slow start, battling back from 2-4 down to claim the opener.

Raducanu then brought that momentum into the second set, and two breaks of serve proved more than enough for the former US Open champion to seal victory — and move to 5-0 in opening-round matches at the Australian Open.

“I feel very happy to have come through that match,” said Raducanu, speaking on court.

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“From the beginning, I felt like she was playing incredibly well and all of her returns and shots seemed to be dropping on the baseline or an inch from, and it made life very difficult.

“I’m really proud of how I fought back in the first set — and she’s playing some incredible tennis, playing way higher than her ranking is currently, and I’m sure she’s going to do some good things this year.”

Victory is undoubtedly a key boost for the 23-year-old, who reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time in 2025.

Raducanu has 130 ranking points to defend at the tournament, and while that may not seem like a huge chunk of points, an early defeat in Melbourne would likely mean she is ranked outside the top 30 after the tournament.

By reaching the second round, the world No 29 has defended 70 of those 130 points, providing a significant boost after a challenging start to the year, and will look to reach the third round of the event for the second straight year when she returns to court on Wednesday.

The Brit will face Anastasia Potapova in round two, with the world No 55 competing in her first Grand Slam since switching to Austrian citizenship last month.

Potapova, a former world No 21, battled past Suzan Lamens 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in her opening match inside Melbourne Park on Sunday — rallying from 5-1 down in the second set.

This will be the first career meeting between the two.

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