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Raducanu's frustration over late slot at Australian Open
The Independent
|January 18, 2026
Emma Raducanu has been left less than impressed by the Australian Open’s scheduling after being forced to scramble to get ready for the tournament.
The British No 1 only arrived in Melbourne on Friday after reaching the quarterfinals of the Hobart International but will start her campaign today against little-known Thai Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
And not only has she been scheduled on the opening day, she has also been given the second night session slot on Margaret Court Arena after a men's match beginning at 7pm local time, meaning the possibility of a very late start.
Raducanu, who was planning to have her first practice at 9pm yesterday, said: "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.
"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.
This story is from the January 18, 2026 edition of The Independent.
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