Australian Open 2026: Emma Raducanu Believes Her Melbourne Schedule ‘doesn’t Make Sense’

The Australian Open 2026: Emma Raducanu’s Concerns About Scheduling

Tennis players often face tight schedules at Grand Slam tournaments, but even seasoned professionals like Emma Raducanu are questioning the logic behind their match arrangements. In a recent interview with BBC Sport, the British player expressed her dissatisfaction with her Australian Open first-round match being scheduled for Sunday night in Melbourne.

Arrival and Schedule

Raducanu only arrived at the tournament on Saturday after reaching the quarter-finals of the Hobart tournament. Her flight to Australia was delayed, further compounding the tight turnaround time. The world number 29 is seeded for the first time in over three years and faces Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew less than 48 hours later.

Adapting to the Late-Night Start

“It’s very difficult,” Raducanu said. “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.” The player emphasized her commitment to making the most of the situation despite the challenges: “I have to make the most out of what is in front of me. It’s easy to complain about it, but it’s not going to help.”

Raducanu’s preparation for Sunday includes shifting her day and adjusting to late-night tennis conditions. She mentioned that she has not played matches as late as this before: “After seeing it, the initial reaction is ‘oh, it’s a late one.’ Then you deal with it, try and shift your day and adjust.” The player notes that her practice session on Saturday was pushed back to 9pm due to the delayed arrival in Melbourne.

Concerns About Fatigue

The potential for matches to go well into the night raises concerns about the impact of fatigue. Raducanu’s previous experience with playing late matches includes a semi-final at the US Open, but she acknowledges this as a new situation: “I haven’t really taken the results in the past few weeks too seriously. I know I am working my way into it, and even this week, I know I still am on the way to where I want to be.”

Raducanu’s lack of practice has been evident in her recent matches, where she often looked uncertain in her shots and played passively. She aims to use these experiences as learning opportunities: “Hopefully if I’m playing this game for a long time, I’ll probably be in this situation again, so it’s a good learning step to try and adjust and deal with that day.”

Background and Context

The Australian Open has faced criticism over the years for matches running late into the night. In 2023, Britain’s Andy Murray finished a match at 4:05 local time, setting a precedent for late-night tennis. There have been instances of matches finishing well past midnight, which sports scientists insist cannot be “romanticised.” Raducanu’s concerns align with this broader issue, highlighting the need for better scheduling to protect player health and performance.

With the delayed flight to Melbourne, Raducanu did not train on Friday.

Her sole practice session was pushed back to 9pm on Saturday. She reflected on her experience: “When I played the semis of the US Open I played second night match, but other than that, I haven’t played that late,” adding, “So it’s a new experience, something that I need to learn to do.”

Raducanu’s journey in 2025 has been encouraging, climbing back into the world’s top 30 and playing more matches than in any previous season. However, her off-season technical work was hampered by a foot injury.

Despite these challenges, she remains focused on adapting to new situations: “I’m very happy with the last few weeks – how I was able to be very matter of fact about it, not too emotional.”

As the tournament gets underway, Raducanu’s concerns reflect broader issues in professional tennis scheduling. The Australian Open 2026 will provide an opportunity for players and organizers to address these challenges, ensuring a fair and healthy environment for all participants.