Emma Raducanu insists she is approaching her Australian Open first-round match as seriously as possible because she believes she is set to face "a very dangerous" rival.
The British tennis star, who is seeded at No. 28, drew 195th-ranked Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round at Melbourne Park.
On paper, it is a pretty favorable first-round matchup for Raducanu, who didn't hide in late 2025 that her big goal was to be a seed at the Australian Open.
However, although Sawangkaew is ranked just inside the top-200 and entered the Happy Slam using a protected ranking, the 2021 US Open champion took notice of the Thai's recent results on the lower-tier.
Sawangkaew, who was out for half a year before returning to action in late November, kicked off her 2026 season by competing at the ITF tournament in Nonthaburi. There, the 23-year-old Thai won five matches – all in straight sets – to take the title.
When addressing her upcoming rival, Raducanu said that Sawangkaew felt "very confident" and "match-sharp."
Raducanu not taking Sawangkaew for granted: A very dangerous situation to be in
“I think it's a tricky one, because playing a lot of matches, even if it's an ITF level and getting a lot of wins, it does so much. I experienced that firsthand in 2021 when I went on a good run in a bunch of 100Ks. I had a lot of confidence. You feel very match-sharp,” the No. 28 seed explained.
“I think it's a very dangerous opponent, a very dangerous situation to be in, so I think I'm ready for a tough one. Also, there is not as much data. There is not as much information about these players. You don't know that much about them, so there is that element of surprise, too. I'm very aware of the first-round match."
When Raducanu and Sawangkaew meet on Sunday, it will be their first meeting.
