British tennis star Emma Raducanu has voiced strong criticism over the Australian Open's scheduling decisions, branding her late-night first-round slot as something that "makes no sense". The 2021 US Open champion is set to face Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew in a match scheduled to begin late on Sunday night, following a potential five-set men's encounter.
A Rushed Transition and a Tough Draw
Raducanu's path to her opening match has been far from ideal. Her preparation was disrupted after a quarter-final loss in Hobart to world No 204 Taylah Preston on Thursday. A subsequent delayed flight meant she only arrived in Melbourne late on Friday, leaving her with just a single training session at Melbourne Park before her competitive debut.
"It's very difficult," Raducanu admitted. "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." She faces a challenging opponent in Sawangkaew, a talented 23-year-old Thai player who broke into the world's top 100 last year before an injury layoff saw her ranking drop to 195.
Questioning the Logic of Late-Night Matches
The core of Raducanu's frustration lies with the decision to schedule a women's match after a men's best-of-five-sets contest, between Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby. This could push her start time deep into the night.
"I think it's very difficult to be scheduling women's matches after a potential five-set match," stated Raducanu. "To me, it doesn't really make as much sense." Despite her clear disapproval, the British No 1 is adopting a pragmatic approach, focusing on adaptation rather than complaint. She acknowledged this is a new experience for her, similar only to her semi-final at the US Open, and views it as a necessary learning step for her career.
Djokovic Explains Surprise PTPA Exit
In other news from Melbourne, world number one Novak Djokovic has provided detailed reasoning for his unexpected departure from the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), which he helped found. Djokovic cited the organisation's lawsuit against tennis's governing bodies as a significant factor.
"It was a tough call for me to exit the PTPA," Djokovic revealed. He expressed frustration that the body was perceived as "his organisation", a notion he insisted was incorrect from the start. Disagreement with the leadership's direction and specific elements of the legal action led to his decision to step away, though he maintains support for the principle of player representation.
As the first Grand Slam of the year gets underway, the focus for British fans will be on how Raducanu manages the unusual circumstances surrounding her opener, using her resilience to overcome the logistical hurdles placed before her.
