Raducanu v Sawangkaew live: Australian Open latest score updates as British No 1 begins tournament

Raducanu faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew, the World No 195, as the British No 1 begins her Australian Open campaign after a win for qualifier Arthur Fery

Emma Raducanu faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew, the World No 195 (AFP via Getty Images)

Emma Raducanu begins her Australian Open campaign this morning as the British No 1 takes on Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

Raducanu is seeded for a grand slam event for the first time in three years and has been handed a first-round match against the world No 195, who will be making her Australian Open main draw debut. Raducanu is on a collision course with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a possible third-round opponent, and will hoping to build into the tournament after an injury disrupted off-season.

Elsewhere in Melbourne, top seeds Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz headline the action on the Rod Laver Arena. There will also be a historic return to the Australian Open for Venus Williams, the seven-time grand slam champion, who became the oldest women to compete in the tournament at the age of 45 after accepting a wildcard entry.

There has already been a British winner on the opening day of the tournament as qualifier Arthur Fery upset the 20th seed Flavio Cobolli. The 23-year-old earned his first grand slam main draw win outside of Wimbledon, as Cobolli struggled with illness.

Follow latest scores and updates from the Australian Open, below:

Australian Open live: Latest score updates

• Emma Raducanu begins Australian Open against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew
• Raducanu had disrupted build-up to tournament but is seeded 28th
• British qualifier Fery knocks out 20th seed on Australian Open debut
• Cameron Norrie comes through five-set battle to join Fery in round two
• Who is Mananchaya Sawangkaew? Raducanu's opponent making grand slam debut

[18 January 2026 11:23 · Jamie Braidwood]

FIRST SET! Emma Raducanu 6-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Sawangkaew faces some pressure and as error brings up 30-30, but responds by slamming a big serve down the T. However Raducanu is very much in this game as the Thai nets on the forehand.

And Raducanu takes advantage! Another error Sawangkaew brings up set point, and the Briton roars as her opponent is stretched out wide and puts her forehand into the net.

Raducanu breaks to win the set. She did well to see out Sawangkaew’s hot-spell.

[18 January 2026 11:15 · Jamie Braidwood]

Emma Raducanu 5-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*

Raducanu now has her foot down. She rolls through the next service game to love, as Sawangkaew floats the forehand long.

[18 January 2026 11:14 · Jamie Braidwood]

BREAK! *Emma Raducanu 4-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew

A roar from Raducanu as she bounces back to break! Raducanu pumped up the pressure with a blistering forehand return winner and then Sawangkaew offered a crack with a double-fault on 15-30.

Sawangkaew pulls her forehand wide and Raducanu breaks back.

[18 January 2026 11:11 · Jamie Braidwood]

Cameron Norrie comes through in five sets

You just knew he would. Cameron Norrie takes the long route but his excellent fitness prevails to take down Benjamin Bonzi.

From 6-0, to two sets to one down, Norrie comes through in five.

6-0, 6-7 (2), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

(REUTERS)

[18 January 2026 11:09 · Jamie Braidwood]

Emma Raducanu 3-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*

Sawangkaew is treating the Raducanu second serve with disdain and moves forward into the net to put away an overhead and get to deuce.

She is proving to be a very awkward opponent. Raducanu, though, holds on to finally put Sawangkaew’s determined defence away and hold from deuce.

[18 January 2026 11:04 · Jamie Braidwood]

*Emma Raducanu 2-4 Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Sawangkaew has won 11/11 points when making the first serve, holding to love with an ace out wide. The World 195 is red-hot right now.

She also came into the tournament having won five matches in a row to win a title on the World Tennis Tour.

[18 January 2026 11:01 · Jamie Braidwood]

HOLD! Emma Raducanu 2-3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew*

Raducanu saves both break points! She finds the first serves and is clinical with the second strike.

Raducanu stretches Sawangkaew from side to side and finds the way through. She remains a break down, but that’s a big hold.

(AFP via Getty Images)

[18 January 2026 10:59 · Jamie Braidwood]

*Emma Raducanu 1- 3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Barely 15 minutes in, the warning signs are flashing for Raducanu.

Sawangkaew takes over the rally on 15-30 and moves into the net to put Raducanu on the back foot. She steers a volley into open court and will look at two more break points.

[18 January 2026 10:55 · Jamie Braidwood]

*Emma Raducanu 1- 3 Mananchaya Sawangkaew

Sawangkaew backs up the break. The Thai is taking an all-or-nothing approach on the serve and form the baseline, and is winning the duels. Raducanu puts her return into the net.

[18 January 2026 10:52 · Jamie Braidwood]

BREAK! Emma Raducanu 1- 2Mananchaya Sawangkaew*

Sawangkaew is looking handy at the net too and springs into a volley to move to 15-30. She launches into a forehand winner cross-court, setting up two break points early in the first set.

And she takes them! Sawangkaew jumps on the return and Raducanu nets on the forehand.