Emma Raducanu has invited a superfan to all her matches after he cheered her on during her first-round victory at the Australian Open. The British tennis star singled out the supporter, who shouted 'Rado' from the crowd, during her on-court interview following a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, struggled with a slow start but recovered to dominate the match. She praised the fan, saying: 'A particular shout out to 'Rado', apparently, is my new nickname, so you're invited to every match, just let me know or let my agent know, and you'll hear.'
The 22-year-old also discussed the challenges of playing the final match of the day, noting that she had booked a practice court from 9.15pm to 11.15pm the night before to adjust to the conditions. She said the atmosphere was 'electric' and thanked fans for staying late.
Raducanu will face Anastasia Potapova in the second round, with a potential third-round clash against world number one Aryna Sabalenka on the horizon. Sabalenka defeated Raducanu at Wimbledon last year in a tight match.
The win helps Raducanu bounce back from a surprise defeat to Taylah Preston at the Hobart International last week, where she lost 6-2, 6-4 to the world number 217.
