Despite holding a Grand Slam title, Emma Raducanu occasionally encounters unfamiliar situations.
Her opening match at the Australian Open against Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand presented an unusual challenge: a delayed commencement.
Nevertheless, she concluded the match relatively early for Melbourne Park standards, securing a 6-4 6-1 win before 11 PM local time, as the top British player gained momentum.
Raducanu had previously participated in only one other night match at a Grand Slam event, specifically the 2021 US Open semi-final, which was part of her memorable championship run.
Consequently, the 23-year-old meticulously considered how to adjust her daily schedule, beginning her day with a leisurely stroll through the lively riverside district of Melbourne.
“I enjoyed a relaxed breakfast, took a 45-minute walk, returned, received treatment, conversed with my team, then napped before arriving,” she detailed.
“I entered [Melbourne Park] at 5:30 PM, commenced my usual preparations, and began practice at 6 PM.”
“While I’m naturally a night person, that doesn’t extend to playing tennis at night.”
Raducanu stepped onto the court just after 9 PM, gaining assurance following an initial hesitant period marked by unforced errors.
Spending the entire day awaiting a match is a common occurrence for the majority of athletes.
Cameron Norrie, a fellow countryman of Raducanu, characterized his day as “quite challenging,” having arrived at the venue at 10 AM with an anticipated match start around 2:30 PM.
The preceding two matches before Norrie’s opening round extended considerably, delaying his start until 6 PM, where he ultimately triumphed in a five-set contest against Benjamin Bonzi of France, concluding just before Raducanu’s victory.
“I’ve been working on improving my performance during evening matches,” Raducanu stated.
“Frankly, that constitutes a significant part of the challenge for me—managing the day’s schedule, determining when to focus and when to relax.”
“I have conducted several experiments to ascertain effective and ineffective approaches.”
“In fact, I felt exceptionally well prior to the match. It was beneficial that the preceding match concluded relatively quickly, preventing my appearance from being overly delayed.”
