Emma Raducanu avoided an upset to progress to the second round of the Australian Open after coming from behind to beat Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Raducanu’s arrival at the Australian Open followed an off-season that had been disrupted by injury and a shock defeat at the Hobart International, and the British No 1 was frustrated to be scheduled on the opening day of the tournament.
She appeared to be in a spot of bother as Sawangkaew, the world No 195, made an inspired start and had two points to establish a double-break and 4-1 lead in the opening set. But Raducanu surged back, and advances thanks to a 6-4 6-1 victory.
There had already been a British winner on the opening day of the tournament as qualifier Arthur Fery upset the 20th seed Flavio Cobolli. The 23-year-old earned his first grand slam main draw win outside of Wimbledon, as Cobolli struggled with illness. Cameron Norrie is also through after a five-set battle.
Elsewhere, Venus Williams made history by stepping onto the court at the Australian Open but the 45-year-old was denied a winning return as Serbia’s Olga Danilovic won the final six games in a row to triumph in a three-set thriller.
Follow latest scores and updates from the Australian Open, below:
Emma Raducanu surprised to learn new nickname after winning start to Australian Open
Who is Arthur Fery? British qualifier knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
Australian Open order of play and tournament schedule
Is the Australian Open on TV? Channel, live stream and how to watch tennis grand slam
Australian Open live: Latest score updates
- Emma Raducanu avoids upset to surge into Australian Open second round
- Raducanu had disrupted build-up to tournament but is seeded 28th
- British qualifier Fery knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
- Cameron Norrie comes through five-set battle to join Fery in round two
- Venus Williams sees record-breaking Australian Open return end in heartbreak
Australian Open order of play and tournament schedule
21:30 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are all in action on the second day of the tournament on Monday.
Australian Open order of play and schedule for 2026 tournament
Venus Williams sees record-breaking Australian Open return end in heartbreak
20:30 , Jamie BraidwoodVenus Williams made history by stepping onto the court at the Australian Open but was denied a winning return as Serbia’s Olga Danilovic won the final six games in a row to triumph in a three-set thriller.
At 45, Williams became the oldest woman to compete in the singles tournament after accepting a wildcard into the main draw. The seven-time grand slam champion, who returned to Melbourne for the first time in five years, started well and delighted the crowd by ripping a stunning forehand winner to take the first set on a tiebreak.
Danilovic hit back to win the second set and level the match but Williams looked to be on course for victory, and a first win at a grand slam singles match since the 2021 Wimbledon, as she took a 4-0 lead in the final set.
But Danilovic, 24, stormed back to deny Williams a place in the second-round, winning 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4. Williams, who first played at the Australian Open in 1998, when she was 17, received a standing ovation as she left the court but she will also be entering the doubles tournament with Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Venus Williams sees record-breaking Australian Open return end in heartbreak
Is the Australian Open on TV? Channel, live stream and how to watch tennis grand slam
19:30 , Jamie Braidwoodhe Australian Open kicks off the tennis grand slams in 2026 as Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys return as defending champions.
Sinner will be attempting to become just the second man in the Open era, after Novak Djokovic, to win three Australian Open singles titles in a row, while women’s No 1 Aryna Sabalenka will be determined to regain her crown after Keys ended her bid for a hat-trick in last year’s final.
Two players will enter the tournament with the mission of completing the career grand slam. Both Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are an Australian Open title away from having won all four of the major titles - Alcaraz would be the youngest man to achieve the feat if he does so this year.
Is the Australian Open on TV? How to watch tennis grand slam
The rising tension ahead of the Australian Open and how tennis found itself in a mess
18:30 , Jamie BraidwoodAn ‘insane’ schedule has led to many top players speaking out as the sport’s governing bodies face legal action from the breakaway Professional Tennis Players’ Association.
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The rising tension ahead of the Australian Open and how tennis found itself in a mess
Australian Open player comes to aid of collapsing ball girl during record-breaking win
17:30 , Jamie BraidwoodTurkey’s Zeynep Sonmez came to the aid of a ball girl who collapsed due to heat exhaustion as the qualifier went on to claim a historic victory for her country at the Australian Open.
Sonmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round of the Australian Open as she knocked out the 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 on the 1573 Arena.
Midway through the match, as Sonmez was about to receive serve, the ball girl stood underneath the umpire’s chair suddenly fell to her back before continuing to look unsteady as she got back to her feet.
On a sunny opening day in Melbourne, with temperatures reaching 28c, play was stopped by the umpire as Sonmez came to the ball girl’s side and guided her off the court by putting her arm over her shoulder.
Australian Open star dramatically comes to aid of collapsing ball girl
Corentin Moutet responds to boos after underarm serve on match point
16:30 , Jamie BraidwoodFrench tennis player Corentin Moutet said he did not intend to do be disrespectful after he was booed by the Australian Open crowd for playing an underarm serve to win match point.
Moutet, the 32nd seed, defeated the Australian Tristan Schoolkate 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in his opening round match on Sunday and said he was “not thinking” about his unorthodox choice of shot on match point.
“I did it because I thought it would be I could win the point, which I won the point actually. Nothing else,” Moutet, whose style of play is one of the more flamboyant on the ATP Tour, said afterwards.
“Of course, no disrespect or anything. You know, just, like, I could serve on the tee. I could [do] whatever. I decided to do this, so I thought it was the better option at this moment.”
Australian Open player responds to boos after underarm serve on match point
How the final years of Novak Djokovic’s career are being shaped by unstoppable forces
15:30 , Jamie BraidwoodConsider these Novak Djokovic moments from 2025. January’s vintage quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open. June’s poignant touching of the clay after a battling defeat to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of Roland Garros, as the Paris crowd chanted his name. The deflating losses to Sinner at Wimbledon and Alcaraz at the US Open, as well as the admission that he “ran out of gas” against his young rival. But, still, reaching four grand slam semi-finals in one season at the age of 38. Winning the 101st title of his career in a three-hour epic against Lorenzo Musetti in November, as all four sides of the arena in Athens stood and his children cheered on with them.
What do they say about the source of his enduring motivation, as Djokovic enters the 22nd season of his career?
How the final years of Novak Djokovic’s career are being shaped by unstoppable forces
British qualifier Fery knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
14:30 , Jamie BraidwoodGreat Britain’s Arthur Fery claimed the first upset of the Australian Open as the qualifier knocked out 20th seed Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
The 23-year-old Fery, making his overseas grand slam debut, won 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-1 to take out the rising star Cobolli, who took a medical timeout and was visited by the doctor as he struggled with a stomach bug.
Fery won his first-round match at last year’s Wimbledon, also beating the 20th seed in Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, after receiving a wildcard into the tournament.
This time, Fery has now scored four victories so far in Melbourne, having come through from the first round of qualifying, and will now take on Argentina’s Tomas Martín Etcheverry in the second round.
“It seems I like drawing 20th seeds at grand slams,” Fery laughed afterwards during his on-court interview. “I felt great. I felt very comfortable on that court. Obviously playing three matches beforehand in quallies really helped.”
Who is Arthur Fery? British qualifier knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
Australian Open men’s and women’s seed list and tracker
13:43 , Jamie BraidwoodGreat Britain’s Arthur Fery knocked out 20th seed Flavio Cobolli as the qualifier claimed the biggest shock of the Australian Open so far. The biggest upset on the women’s side came as Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez eliminated 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are the top seeds for the tournament, with Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek the second seeds as the first grand slam of the year gets underway.
Australian Open 2026: Men’s and women’s seed list and tracker
Emma Raducanu surprised to learn new nickname after winning start to Australian Open
13:24 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu discovered she has a new nickname at the Australian Open as the British No 1 overcame a slow start to cruise into the second round with a straight-sets win over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Raducanu only arrived at the Australian Open shortly before the tournament, following an off-season that had been disrupted by injury and a shock defeat at the Hobart International just a few days ago, and the former US Open champion was frustrated to be scheduled late on the opening day of play.
The 23-year-old praised Thailand’s Sawangkaew, the world No 195, as raced into an early lead on her grand slam main draw debut. Sawangkaew had two points to establish a double-break and 4-1 lead in the opening , only for Raducanu to surge back and advance thanks to a 6-4 6-1 victory.
Emma Raducanu surprised to learn new nickname after winning start to Australian Open
Tomorrow's Australian Open order of play and schedule
12:51 , Jamie BraidwoodThe opening round of the Australian Open will continue on Monday as 10-time champion Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park.
Djokovic, 38, may well be the third men of men’s tennis due to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have won the last eight grand slam titles between them, but the Serbian said he does not think it will be “now or never” to win an elusive and record-breaking 25th major.
He will begin his campaign on Rod Laver Arena against Spain’s Pedro Martinez, the world No 71, in the night session. Two-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev and home favourite Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, will also be in action.
Elsewhere, three of the top four women’s players in the world are on Monday’s order of play as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova begin their campaigns. They will be looking to stop world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka from winning a third title in four years in Melbourne.
Australian Open order of play and schedule for 2026 tournament
Carlos Alcaraz through as he begins bid for career grand slam
12:17 , Jamie BraidwoodCarlos Alcaraz’s bid for a first Australian Open title - and the career grand slam - is underway.
He headlined the night session match on Rod Laver Arena and defeated the home Aussie Adam Walton, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Alcaraz has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne. The Spaniard was also playing his first competitive match since the end of last season, and since his shock split with coach Joan Carlos Ferrero.
He looked pretty good.
Emma Raducanu pleased to get through late start
12:10 , Jamie Braidwood”The preparation started yesterday. I booked the court from 9:15 to 11:15 p.m. It was the latest I've ever practiced.
“It is completely different to the day. It's a lot slower. It's colder, the ball doesn't travel as much through the air.
”It's a difficult one because you need to switch on, but at the right time and not too early, so you're not expending too much energy.
“I had a potter around Melbourne this morning by the river and then had a nap. But came out and and the atmosphere was electric.”
Emma Raducanu: 'I'm proud of how I fought back - I was impressed'
12:02 , Jamie Braidwood“I feel very happy to have gotten through that match. 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 gonna do good things this year.
”I remember my debut slam was at Wimbledon and I was incredibly nervous. It's very nerve-wracking, especially playing straight away on a big stadium, so she did really well to come out the blocks firing.
”I was so impressed and I really had to kind of stay calm, stay composed, and keep going and trusting my game one point at a time.”
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Emma Raducanu 6-4 6-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:55 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu leads the applause as Sawangkaew bows out. She made a decent impression on her grand slam main draw debut. Certainly, in the first few games, Raducanu knew she had a match on her hands.
Raducanu will face the Russian-born Anastasia Potapova next. She defeated Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Raducanu will speak to the crowd next.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Emma Raducanu 6-4 6-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:52 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu races over the line! She was very close to going down a double-break in the first set, as Sawangkaew came out with nothing to lose.
But once Raducanu hit her stride and found her forehand, there was little Sawangkaew could do. Fair play to Raducanu for negotiating a hot start from the World No 195 to get her business done.
Sealed with an ace, too! Into the second round.
BREAK! *Emma Raducanu 6-4 5-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:49 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew rediscovers some first-serve accuracy and lands the forehand winner past Raducanu.
This is a very different match from the first set, though, with Raducanu firing back to take charge.
Sawangkaew nets and Raducanu takes the double-break in the second set. She’ll serve for the match next.
Emma Raducanu 6-4 4-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:44 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu comes through from 30-30, playing two aggressive points to keep Sawangkaew from taking the front-foot. She moves two games away.
*Emma Raducanu 6-4 3-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:40 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew ends the run. Raducanu went for a big backhand down the line down game point, and wasn’t too far away.
Emma Raducanu 6-4 3-0 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:35 , Jamie BraidwoodBrilliant from Raducanu! It was something you’d expect to see from Carlos Alcaraz and she runs out wide and sends the backhand return, sliced, down the line for a winner.
She is cruising now. Seven games in a row.
BREAK! *Emma Raducanu 6-4 2-0 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:32 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu leans into a stylish backhand down the line winner to take the opening point.
What has happened to Sawangkaew here? A backhand into the net brings up 0-40.
Raducanu pins a brilliant backhand onto her opponent’s feet - and roars as she makes it six games in a row.
Emma Raducanu 6-4 1-0 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:28 , Jamie BraidwoodThat’s five games in a row for Raducanu against Sawangkaew, whose forehand is now leaking errors at an alarming rate after such a bright start.
Raducanu, let’s remember, faced two break points when trailing 1-3 in the first set.
Venus Williams sees record-breaking Australian Open return end in heartbreak
11:27 , Jamie BraidwoodVenus Williams made history by stepping onto the court Australian Open but was denied a winning return as Serbia’s Olga Danilovic won the final six games in a row to triumph in a three-set thriller.
At 45, Williams became the oldest woman to compete in the tournament after accepting a wildcard into the main draw and returning to Melbourne for the first time in five years.
She looked to be on course for victory as she took a 4-0 lead in the final set, but Danilovic, 23, stormed back to deny Williams a place in the second-round, winning 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
Venus Williams sees record-breaking Australian Open return end in heartbreak
FIRST SET! Emma Raducanu 6-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:23 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew faces some pressure and as error brings up 30-30, but responds by slamming a big serve down the T. However Raducanu is very much in this game as the Thai nets on the forehand.
And Raducanu takes advantage! Another error Sawangkaew brings up set point, and the Briton roars as her opponent is stretched out wide and puts her forehand into the net.
Raducanu breaks to win the set. She did well to see out Sawangkaew’s hot-spell.
Emma Raducanu 5-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:15 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu now has her foot down. She rolls through the next service game to love, as Sawangkaew floats the forehand long.
BREAK! *Emma Raducanu 4-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:14 , Jamie BraidwoodA roar from Raducanu as she bounces back to break! Raducanu pumped up the pressure with a blistering forehand return winner and then Sawangkaew offered a crack with a double-fault on 15-30.
Sawangkaew pulls her forehand wide and Raducanu breaks back.
Cameron Norrie comes through in five sets
11:11 , Jamie BraidwoodYou just knew he would. Cameron Norrie takes the long route but his excellent fitness prevails to take down Benjamin Bonzi.
From 6-0, to two sets to one down, Norrie comes through in five.
6-0, 6-7 (2), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Emma Raducanu 3-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:09 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew is treating the Raducanu second serve with disdain and moves forward into the net to put away an overhead and get to deuce.
She is proving to be a very awkward opponent. Raducanu, though, holds on to finally put Sawangkaew’s determined defence away and hold from deuce.
*Emma Raducanu 2-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
11:04 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew has won 11/11 points when making the first serve, holding to love with an ace out wide. The World 195 is red-hot right now.
She also came into the tournament having won five matches in a row to win a title on the World Tennis Tour.
HOLD! Emma Raducanu 2-3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
11:01 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu saves both break points! She finds the first serves and is clinical with the second strike.
Raducanu stretches Sawangkaew from side to side and finds the way through. She remains a break down, but that’s a big hold.
*Emma Raducanu 1- 3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
10:59 , Jamie BraidwoodBarely 15 minutes in, the warning signs are flashing for Raducanu.
Sawangkaew takes over the rally on 15-30 and moves into the net to put Raducanu on the back foot. She steers a volley into open court and will look at two more break points.
*Emma Raducanu 1- 3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
10:55 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew backs up the break. The Thai is taking an all-or-nothing approach on the serve and form the baseline, and is winning the duels. Raducanu puts her return into the net.
BREAK! Emma Raducanu 1- 2Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
10:52 , Jamie BraidwoodSawangkaew is looking handy at the net too and springs into a volley to move to 15-30. She launches into a forehand winner cross-court, setting up two break points early in the first set.
And she takes them! Sawangkaew jumps on the return and Raducanu nets on the forehand.
*Emma Raducanu 1-1 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
10:48 , Jamie BraidwoodAn assured start from Sawangkaew, who is throwing all she has at the ball but technically looks very sound. This is her first ever appearance in the main draw of a grand slam. That will help her confidence.
Emma Raducanu 1-0 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*
10:45 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu gets her wide serve in play early. A solid opening game, with big hitting on both wings. Sawangkaew looks like she will get a lot of balls back in play. Raducanu takes the hold with forehand winner down the line.
*Emma Raducanu 0-0 Mananchaya Sawangkaew
10:37 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu has a violet outfit for this year’s Australian Open with some rather bright yellow shoes and a matching warm-up jacket.
Sawangkaew won the toss and elected to receive, so Raducanu will start with ball in hand. Raducanu had a long think before deciding her end.
*denotes next server
Emma Raducanu v Mananchaya Sawangkaew
10:32 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu has won all four of her first-round matches at the Australian Open but has only progressed past the second round once, which was last year.
However, she has re-entered the top-30 in the world and is seeded for a grand slam event for the first time in three years, which has led to a favourable draw against the World No 195 Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
The players are about to step out onto the court.
Emma Raducanu avoids a late-night start at Australian Open
10:31 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu criticised the scheduling of her first-round match against Mananchaya Sawangkaew after a men’s singles match, but a routine and straights-sets win for Alexander Bublik means that she avoids a late-night start at the Australian Open.
She’ll still take to court at around 9:30pm local time, but it’s not as bad as it could have been, had Bublik’s match gone to five sets.
Cameron Norrie set to go the distance; Raducanu on court next
10:16 , Jamie BraidwoodCameron Norrie must always feel so confident whenever he goes two sets to one down, given his fitness and ability to turn matches around over the distance.
And that’s exactly where he’s heading in this tussle with Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi after Norrie wins the fourth set 6-3 to force the decider.
Over on Margaret Court Arena, Alexander Bublik has wrapped up a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over Jenson Brooksby. It means Emma Raducanu will be taking to court next.
Tim Henman sets target for Emma Raducanu ahead of Australian Open and 2026 season
10:10 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu should be aiming to establish herself in the world’s top 20 this season, according to Tim Henman.
The former US Open champion returned to the top 30 in the WTA rankings for the first time in two years after a more positive 2025 campaign, where she managed to commit to a full schedule and play a career-high 50 matches, and will be seeded for the Australian Open draw this week.
“She's still building up that fitness again and that resilience,” said Henman, who will be working for TNT Sports and Discovery+ on their coverage of the Australian Open.
“I think when I reflect on 2025, she finished 29 in the world, which I think is a very solid year, but if she can continue to build the physical resilience and also the speed and power that goes with that, then there's no doubt in my mind that she can finish in the top 20 this year because her ball striking and her tennis ability is extremely high level.
“It's early on in the season. Hopefully she can start to build momentum because that's what you need. You need matches and wins. Hobart's a good opportunity, it does look pretty windy and not the easiest conditions, so whatever happens there, hopefully she can come to Melbourne and have a good run.”
Venus Williams wins opening set on Australian Open return
09:55 , Jamie BraidwoodVenus Williams! After making history by becoming the oldest woman to play in the Australian Open singles at the age of 45, the wildcard has won the opening set 7-6 against Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.
The seven-time grand slam champion first played at the Australian Open in 1998, when she was 17, and did not realise she would be making history when she accepted a wildcard into the tournament.
On the idea of becoming the oldest woman to play in the Australian Open, Williams said: “I hadn’t thought about it until it came out in the press. So yay. Yay for me! Let’s do this.”
She’s looking pretty impressive, too.
Who is Mananchaya Sawangkaew? Raducanu's opponent making grand slam debut
09:50 , Jamie Braidwood- Mananchaya Sawangkaew is 23 years old and is ranked 195th in the world, with a career-high of No 100. She is the second-ranked player from Thailand
- She will be making her first appearance in the main draw of a grand slam against Raducanu, having previously lost in the second round of qualifying last year
- Sawangkaew has won all five matches she has played this season after winning a World Tennis Tour 75 event (the rung below the WTA Tour) in Thailand
- She missed the second half of last season due to a back injury - but before then reached the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, where took a set off top seed Anna Kalinskaya (the current world No 33)
Aryna Sabalenka up and running at Australian Open
09:35 , Jamie BraidwoodTwo-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is up and running with a 6-4 6-1 win over the 20-year-old French player Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who caught the eye in the first set but could not stop Sabalenka’s dominant start to the season as she closed out a routine win.
Meanwhile, 10th seed Alexander Bublik is now 6-4 6-4 up on Jenson Brooksby, so Raducanu’s match could be coming up within the hour.
Cameron Norrie now struggling against Benjamin Bonzi
09:28 , Jamie BraidwoodThat excellent start from Cameron Norrie has quickly evaporated and he will need to do it the hard way if he is to advance to the second round of the Australian Open. After losing the first set 0-6, Bonzi has won the next two 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to take control of the contest. Norrie, the 26th seed, looks out of sorts as he slices wide to lose the third set.
Emma Raducanu looking for momentum after disrupted off-season
09:20 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu arrives at the Australian Open looking for form and fitness after a foot injury disrupted her preparations and threatened her momentum.
Raducanu was limited to static drills as she trained in London during the off-season and was unable to play a part in Great Britain’s opening United Cup tie against Japan and Naomi Osaka before falling to a three-set defeat to Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
After beating Camila Osorio in a rain-disrupted first-round match at the Hobart International, where Raducanu was the top seed, Raducanu suffered a shock defeat to world No 204 Taylah Preston in the quarter-finals.
Emma Raducanu on another third-round collision course with World No 1
09:05 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu could face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Australian Open as the British No 1 landed a tough draw despite her seeding for the opening grand slam of the season.
Raducanu will begin her tournament against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who will be making her grand slam main draw debut, while her possible second-round opponents are Russian-born No 59 Anastasia Potapova or No 85 Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.
Raducanu’s seeding of 28 coming into the Australian Open meant she would have expected to face one of the top eight players in the world if she made the third round, but drew the hardest possible opponent after landing in Sabalenka’s section.
The Belarusian has reached the final of the Australian Open three years in a row and will be determined to regain her title after last year’s shock defeat to Madison Keys.
Cameron Norrie in action on opening day
08:51 , Jamie BraidwoodCameron Norrie will be looking to join Arthur Fery in the second round of the Australian Open but has been pegged back by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, after the 26th seed made a lightning start.
Norrie raced to a 6-0 opening set, but was forced to save several set points to get through to a tiebreak in the second. Bonzi won the decider 7-2. A match of two halves so far.
British qualifier Fery knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
08:45 , Jamie BraidwoodGreat Britain’s Arthur Fery claimed the first upset of the Australian Open as the qualifier knocked out 20th seed Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
The 23-year-old Fery, making his overseas grand slam debut, won 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-1 to take out the rising star Cobolli, who took a medical timeout and was visited by the doctor as he struggled with a stomach bug.
Fery won his first-round match at last year’s Wimbledon, also beating the 20th seed in Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, after receiving a wildcard into the tournament.
This time, Fery has now scored four victories so far in Melbourne, having come through from the first round of qualifying, and will now take on Argentina’s Tomas Martín Etcheverry in the second round.
Who is Arthur Fery? British qualifier knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
Emma Raducanu reveals reason for her frustration before Australian Open campaign
08:34 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu was critical of the schedule at the Australian Open after learning that her opening match of the tournament would follow a men’s singles match in the night session.
Raducanu could face a very late start in Melbourne if Alexander Bublik’s match against Jenson Brooksby goes the distance.
Raducanu only arrived at the tournament on Saturday - having played in the Hobart International last week - and was not impressed to see she was in action on the opening day.
“I think it’s easy to get down and complain about it, but it’s not going to help. So I’m just trying to focus and turn it around for tomorrow,” she said.
“It’s very difficult to be scheduling women’s matches after a potential five-set match. To me, it doesn’t really make as much sense.
It’s very difficult. You would love to have more time in the environment, more time practising, but I guess I was pretty much handed the schedule to try and turn it around and make the most out of what is in front of me.”
When is Emma Raducanu playing at Australian Open?
08:30 , Jamie BraidwoodRaducanu is among the players who will be appearing on the first day of the main draw on Sunday 18 January. Her match against Mananchaya Sawangkaew is scheduled fourth on the Margaret Court Arena.
Raducanu’s match will following the opening match of the night session, between men’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby, with that match getting underway after 8am UK time (7pm local).
A late start for Raducanu could therefore be ideal for the UK audience, with the British No 1 facing a start time of around 10:30am GMT, although it could be later if the Bublik match goes long.
Hello and welcome
08:25 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu begins her Australian Open campaign against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew this morning, as the British No 1 enters a grand slam as one of the seeded players for the first time in three years.
Having returned to the world’s top 30 following a more positive 2025 season, Raducanu still landed a tough draw for the tournament with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka a likely opponent if she makes the third round.
Before then, Raducanu will need to find some form as she takes on the No 195-ranked Sawangkaew, who will be making her grand slam main draw debut.
