Raducanu Questions Logic Behind Australian Open Schedule

Emma Raducanu has expressed her concerns regarding the scheduling of her first-round match at the Australian Open, which is set for Sunday night in Melbourne. Despite being accustomed to quick turnarounds, the British tennis star finds the timing puzzling.

Having only arrived at the season’s first Grand Slam on Saturday after a quarter-final finish in a preceding tournament in Hobart, Raducanu faced challenges due to a delayed flight. Now, less than two days later, she is set to compete against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

“It’s very difficult,” Raducanu commented, noting her current world ranking of 29th.

She added, “One would prefer to have additional time to acclimate and practice, but the schedule has been handed to me, and I must adapt to it. Complaining isn’t going to change anything; I need to focus on the situation at hand.”

Another issue at hand is the possibility of a late-night match. Raducanu and Sawangkaew are scheduled to play second on Margaret Court Arena, following a men’s match featuring Kazakh 10th seed Alexander Bublik and American Jenson Brooksby.

This men’s match is set to commence at 7 PM local time (06:00 GMT), which raises concerns that Raducanu may not step onto the court until nearly midnight. The Australian Open has a history of matches extending into the early morning hours, with notable instances, such as Andy Murray’s 2023 match that concluded at 4:05 AM.

“Scheduling women’s matches after a potential five-set contest seems illogical to me,” Raducanu remarked, highlighting the challenges of such arrangements.

As she prepares for the match on Sunday, Raducanu is being strategic about her approach. “My first thought upon seeing the schedule was, ‘oh, that’s a late one.’ But then, you adjust your day to accommodate it,” she explained.

Due to her late arrival in Melbourne, Raducanu missed training on Friday and rescheduled her practice to 9 PM on Saturday to get used to playing at night. “I’ve played in the second night match during the US Open semi-finals, but apart from that, I haven’t experienced such late matches before,” she said.

Raducanu views this as a new challenge and an opportunity for growth. “If I continue my career in tennis for many years, I will likely find myself in similar situations, making it an important learning opportunity to adapt and manage my day effectively,” she noted.

In 2025, Raducanu demonstrated significant improvement, re-entering the top 30 and competing in more matches than any prior season. However, her preparation with coach Francisco Roig, a mentor who significantly contributed to Rafael Nadal’s success, was interrupted due to a foot injury.

The impact of this limited practice time has been noticeable in her four matches this year. During her recent loss to 204th-ranked Taylah Preston in Hobart, she displayed uncertainty in her shots and a passive playing style that allowed her opponent to apply pressure.

“I haven’t taken recent results too seriously,” Raducanu stated. “I recognize I am in the process of finding my rhythm, and I remain optimistic about my progress this week towards my goals.”

Raducanu concluded, “I’m content with how I have handled the last few weeks, approaching it with a sensible mindset and maintaining emotional balance.”