Emma Raducanu is set to enter the Australian Open after concluding her run at the Hobart International, where she lost the quarterfinal round to Australia’s Taylah Preston. For her first-round match, she will be facing World No. 195 and has recently shared her thoughts on how she will be preparing accordingly against the player from Sing Buri province, Thailand.
Emma Raducanu Reveals Her Preparation Plans for Her First Round at the Australian Open
The British star has begun her 2026 season after suffering a foot injury during her offseason. She was seen in action at the United Cup tournament with Great Britain, skipping her first match against Naomi Osaka for the same reason and then competing against Maria Sakkari in her first match, losing.
After the mixed-gender tournament, Raducanu entered the Hobart International as the top seed and advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating Camila Osorio in the round of 32 to clinch her first win of the season. Her round of 16 opponent, Magdalena Fręch, withdrew due to injury, paving the way for Raducanu to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to a 20-year-old native of Joondalup.
During her recent press conference ahead of her Australian Open run, the World No. 29 reflected on her first-round clash with Mananchaya Sawangkaew, who has clinched four ITF singles and two doubles titles, adding, “Yeah, I think it’s a tricky one because, you know, playing a lot of matches, even if it’s at ITF level and getting a lot of wins, it does so much. And I experienced that firsthand in 2021 when I went on a good run in a bunch of 100ks and I had a lot of confidence. You feel very matched, sharp.”
Raducanu made her ITF Women’s Circuit debut in 2018 and won her first title at a 15k event in Tiberias, followed by a 15k title in Antalya. Furthermore, she also competed in the 25k Solapur Open and won the 25k event in Pune.
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu vs. Mananchaya Sawangkaew Preview: Head-to-Head, Prediction, for Australian Open 2026
She continued highlighting her confidence and how she will be preparing accordingly. While considering her opponent, she expressed, “I think it’s a very dangerous opponent, a very dangerous situation to be in. So, I think I’m ready for a tough one. And also there’s not as much data. There’s not as much information about these players. You don’t know much about them. So there’s the element of surprise too. So, I’m very aware of the first round match and just yeah, need to practice and do my best to be ready for tomorrow.”
Whereas Sawangkaew has played in the US Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon Championship in qualifying rounds, she will, for the first time in her career, compete in the first round of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
