Overview
- Arriving in Melbourne on Friday, Emma Raducanu is slated for Sunday night on Margaret Court Arena after a men’s match, raising the prospect of a very late first-round start.
- Raducanu questioned the scheduling logic and shifted her prep to a 9pm Saturday practice to adjust to night conditions before facing Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
- The 28th seed meets the world No 195 making her Grand Slam main-draw debut, with a potential third-round meeting with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka if she advances.
- Her pre-season was curtailed by a right-foot bone bruise, leaving her with minimal hitting until early January and just three matches since mid-October, including a Hobart quarter-final loss to No 204 Taylah Preston.
- Injury expert Stephen Smith warned that overloading a bone bruise risks a stress fracture costing eight to 12 weeks, while Mats Wilander predicted only a short run given her limited preparation.