Emma Raducanu handed brutal Australian Open reality check – ‘Not good enough’ | Tennis | Sport
Emma Raducanu has been told to forget about a deep run at the Australian Open – because her game isn’t good enough at present. The 23-year-old has achieved her goal of being seeded for the first grand slam of the year but her physical resilience remains the big question mark.
The 28th seed has been handed a tough route to glory in Melbourne, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka lying in wait in the third round, provided both get that far. Raducanu was very competitive in a third-round loss to Sabalenka at Wimbledon last year but was well beaten twice by Iga Swiatek and once by Elena Rybakina as she failed to progress beyond the last 32 at any of the four majors in 2025. According to tennis legend and pundit Mat Wilander, that remains her ceiling until she can play regularly on the WTA tour.
The three-time Australian Open men’s champion told TNT Sports: “I think she can do something like winning a couple of matches.
“I don’t expect Emma Raducanu’s game to be good enough where she can get to the quarters or semis or final because I don’t think her game is good enough and I don’t think the preparation is there.
“I think she has the talent. I think technically she has the shots. I think the serve technically is good enough. I think in the future, she can be competing with the best players in the world, but she’s not there.
“She doesn’t need two months. She needs a couple of years of being on tour week in, week out to toughen her up physically and to toughen her up mentally.
“She’s not ready to have a great tournament. And I’m hoping one day you will see Emma Raducanu that is physically ready. I know that injuries is bad luck, and to her, she’s having too much bad luck.”
Before she can think about facing Sabalenka, Raducanu must negotiate an opener against lowly-ranked Thai player Mananchaya Sawangkaew, with a second-round meeting in store against either Anastasia Potapova or Suzan Lamens.
That appeared a golden chance for Raducanu to at last reach another final four-and-a-half years after her US Open win, particularly given the withdrawal of second-round opponent Magdalena Frech through injury.
