Emma Raducanu plays her first match at the 2025 Australian Open on Tuesday as she locks horns with 26th-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The British tennis star is unseeded at Melbourne Park and has had to overcome a number of issues ahead of her opening match Down Under.
Raducanu, the world No.60, revealed this week that she had been ‘badly bitten by ants’ which dramatically left her hand and ankle swollen.
That followed a ‘back niggle’, which ruled her out of the ASB Classic, where she had been hoping to build up form before the Grand Slam event.
Boris Becker has told Metro that Raducanu no longer has a ‘fear factor’ ahead of her first match at the Australian Open, but she will be hoping to prove the tennis icon wrong when she faces Alexandrova on Tuesday.
Here’s everything you need to know about Raducanu’s opening match…
When does Emma Raducanu play her first match at the Australian Open?
Emma Raducanu plays her first match at the Australian Open on Tuesday, January 14 – which is the third day of action at Melbourne Park.
The Australian Open Order of Play for Tuesday will be announced on Monday, which is when we will find out which court Raducanu will take to.
‘Schedules are released at approximately 6pm AEDT on the day prior to play,’ the Australian Open website reads.
The exact time for Raducanu’s first match will depend on the length of other matches which take place on the same court on Tuesday.
Play at the Australian Open will begin at 12am UK time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts. The Australian Open night sessions will start at 8am UK time.
Have Emma Raducanu and Ekaterina Alexandrova played each other before?
Emma Raducanu and Ekaterina Alexandrova have never played each other before on the WTA Tour.
They were due to face each other in the first round of the women’s singles at Wimbledon 2024 but Russian star Alexandrova withdrew due to illness, meaning the Brit was able to advance.
Emma Raducanu vs Ekaterina Alexandrova odds
Betting odds are always subject to change but as of 7pm on January 11, Sky Bet are offering 8/13 for Raducanu to defeat Alexandrova, meaning a £5 bet would return £8.08.
Sky Bet are also offering odds of 5/4 for Alexandrova to beat Raducanu, with a £5 bet returning £11.25.
Who will Emma Raducanu play next in the second round if she wins?
If Emma Raducanu defeats Ekaterina Alexandrova, she will face either María Lourdes Carlé or Amanda Anisimova in the second round.
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