Emma Raducanu could face Aryna Sabalenka after tough Australian Open draw

Emma Raducanu was again handed a tough path at a grand slam with world number one Aryna Sabalenka looming at the Australian Open.

The British number one is seeded 28th at Melbourne Park after a 2025 season that was largely encouraging but saw her beaten by the WTA’s big guns at the slams.

She was very competitive in a third-round loss to Sabalenka at Wimbledon but was well beaten twice by Iga Swiatek and once by Elena Rybakina as she failed to progress beyond the last 32 at any of the four majors.

That round once again appears a huge hurdle after the draw put her in line to clash with two-time Melbourne champion Sabalenka.

First Raducanu must negotiate an opener against lowly-ranked Thai player Mananchaya Sawangkaew, with a second-round meeting in store against either Anastasia Potapova or Suzan Lamens.

Katie Boulter, who was a last-minute entry into the main draw, has a very tough opener against in-form 10th seed Belinda Bencic, while Sonay Kartal faces 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya and Francesca Jones will play a qualifier.

Top seed Sabalenka opens her campaign against French wild card Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, with second seed Swiatek starting against a qualifier but facing a potential fourth-round meeting against Naomi Osaka.

Third seed Coco Gauff, meanwhile, could meet 45-year-old Venus Williams in round two.

In the men’s draw, Cameron Norrie is seeded 26th and will take on France’s Benjamin Bonzi first up, while he could face third seed Alexander Zverev in the third round.Norrie is the leading British man in the absence of the injured Jack Draper, while number three Jacob Fearnley will meet Pole Kamil Majchrzak.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who is bidding to complete his career Grand Slam, opens against Australian Adam Walton, with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner facing Hugo Gaston of France.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic is also in the bottom half of the draw and plays Spain’s Pedro Martinez first up, while there is a potential third-round clash between Sinner and exciting Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca.

There will be nerves, meanwhile, for the chances of big home hope Alex De Minaur after he drew former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round.