British number one Emma Raducanu launches her 2026 Australian Open bid on Sunday, marking her return to a Grand Slam as a seeded player for the first time in three years. The 28th seed faces a debutant in the first round but has landed in a challenging section of the draw.
Raducanu's First Round Match Details
Raducanu will open her tournament against Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who is ranked 195th in the world and will be making her main draw debut at a major. The match is scheduled fourth on the Margaret Court Arena on the opening day, Sunday 18 January.
For UK viewers, the timing could be ideal. The session begins at 8am UK time, but Raducanu's match will not start until after the preceding night session opener between Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby. This means the British star is likely to be on court at around 10:30am GMT, though this could be later if the earlier match runs long.
A Tough Path and Form Questions
Despite her seeding, Raducanu faces a difficult route in Melbourne. Should she progress to the third round, she is projected to meet the formidable world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Her build-up to the tournament has been less than ideal, with a foot injury disrupting her off-season.
The 2021 US Open champion has played only three matches in 2026, losing two of them, including a defeat to world number 204 Taylah Preston in Hobart last week. However, history at this event offers some encouragement: Raducanu has won all four of her previous first-round matches at the Australian Open. Her best run came last year when she reached the third round before losing to Iga Swiatek.
How to Watch the Australian Open in the UK
For fans in the United Kingdom, live coverage of the Australian Open is exclusively on TNT Sports, with streaming available via Discovery+. In the United States, the tournament will be broadcast on ESPN and the Tennis Channel.
All eyes will be on Margaret Court Arena to see if Raducanu can shake off her recent rust and make a strong start to her campaign against an opponent she will be heavily favoured to beat.
