Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round of the 2026 Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Mananchaya Sawangkaew, despite a brief confrontation with the umpire over a flickering light. The British No. 28 seed came from behind in the first set and maintained her perfect first-round record at the tournament. She now faces Anastasia Potapova in the next round.
Emma Raducanu's Australian Open campaign began with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew on January 18, 2026, at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Seeded No. 28, Raducanu entered the match after a quarterfinal loss in Hobart and a foot injury at the United Cup, but she delivered a consistently aggressive performance lasting 1 hour and 11 minutes.
Sawangkaew, ranked No. 196 and returning from a six-month back injury layoff, started strongly. She broke Raducanu early for a 3-1 lead and had chances for a double break, reaching 4-2. However, Raducanu saved two break points at 15-40 while down 4-1 and held serve in a key game at 2-4, shifting momentum. She won five straight games to take the first set, drawing errors from Sawangkaew, who finished with 21 unforced errors.
A bizarre incident occurred in the second set's third game, with Raducanu leading 2-0. Her first serve clipped the net, but a flickering light above the court distracted her. She paused and asked the umpire, “Has the light just turned on? That’s first serve, no?” The umpire ruled it a second serve, explaining, “No, it was before you started anything.” Raducanu accepted and won the point anyway as Sawangkaew's return went long.
In the second set, Raducanu dominated, winning 10 of the final 11 games with 17 winners, including an ace on match point. Post-match, she praised Sawangkaew's serving: “I thought she was serving incredibly well, better than I probably expected... Hitting all the spots, very high first-serve percentage.” Raducanu also reflected on her form: “Having only had two weeks out here of playing, I’m happy with the level and happy with the speed at how I’ve kind of found my feet on the match court.”
This marks Raducanu's fifth straight second-round appearance at Melbourne. She noted adjustments needed, like shortening her forehand swing for faster courts. Next, she faces Anastasia Potapova, who staged a comeback from a set and 5-1 down against Suzan Lamens.
