Emma Raducanu completed a perfect opening day of the Australian Open for the British contingent, her late-night victory over Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew making it three wins from three. Sawangkaew at 23, the same age as Raducanu, is clearly a talent but her forehand backswing is long and rather complex. She may have already played three matches this season but this felt like the true start of 2026 for Raducanu and a good start it was. 'I felt like [Sawangkaew] was playing incredibly well so I'm really proud of how I fought back in the first set. 'She's playing some incredible tennis, playing way higher than her ranking is currently, and I'm sure she's going to do good things this year.

Source: Daily Mail January 18, 2026 12:14 UTC