Australian Open 2026 draw: Emma Raducano, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic learn first-round opponents

As 28th seed Raducano has struggled for consistency since winning the 2021 US Open, looking too far ahead at a tie is still dangerous.

But she has made encouraging strides over the past year, improving her physical fitness and showing more flexibility.

If Raducano continues to face Sabalenka, it will provide another opportunity to prove she can beat the best.

All four of her Grand Slam defeats last year came against world superstars – who Raducano said had extra motivation to beat her.

Raducano suffered one-sided defeats to six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open and French Open, then tested Sabalenka at Wimbledon before losing in straight sets.

At the US Open, Raducanu won only three matches as she lost to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

Having a superstar name isn’t vital, but it will prove that Raducanu has the ability to beat the best. It will also ensure that the rest of the locker room focuses on her.

As a lower seed, Raducano knew she would face one of the top eight in the third round in Melbourne if she got there.

Sabalenka may not have been her first choice.

While Raducanu threatened to unseat her in Cincinnati last year, the 27-year-old Belarusian has a formidable record on the Australian hard courts and won the Brisbane International last week.

There are no guarantees that Sabalenka will qualify for the round of 32.

But if she can’t beat 118th-ranked Rakotomanga Rajaona, then Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Chinese qualifier Bai Zhouxuan, it will be a seismic shock.