MELBOURNE, Australia — For Emma Raducanu, the priority in her first-round match at the Australian Open was crystal clear: victory mattered far more than the manner in which she achieved it.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Open champion from 2021 reveled in her hard-fought success, outlasting the No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova with a score of 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) on Court 3, where British flags danced lightly in the breeze on Day 3 of Melbourne Park.
Returning to competitive play for the first time since November, the 22-year-old from Britain faced challenges during her performance, including 15 double faults and 30 unforced errors, managing to win a mere 30 percent of her second serve points. However, she showcased her determination in critical moments, delivering 22 powerful winners and nine aces to secure her place in the next round.
Amidst her absence from competition, Raducanu made headlines back home due to mild back issues earlier this month and her decision to forgo treatment for ant bites recently—cautiously avoiding any medication that could potentially conflict with anti-doping rules.
Alexandrova initially served for the first set, which was rife with excitement, featuring eight service breaks. Yet, Raducanu was quick to counter and break back.
In the subsequent set, Raducanu found herself leading 4-2 but struggled with her serve, ultimately saving a set point before marching towards another tiebreaker, where her performance was nothing short of impressive.
Raducanu surged to a commanding 6-0 lead in the tiebreak, maintaining her composure and securing her first victory of 2025 with a powerful finish.
Since making history as the first player to clinch a Grand Slam title after navigating through qualifying rounds, Raducanu has struggled to reach beyond the fourth round in subsequent major tournaments. However, she has consistently advanced to the third round in Australia for the past three years.
Looking ahead, she is set to face Amanda Anisimova, who impressed with a quick 6-2, 6-3 victory over Maria Carle.
On Day 3, the tournament’s ninth seed, Daria Kasatkina, was the first to advance, bouncing back from dropping the opening game to dominate with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Viktoriya Tomova.
In early men’s results, the 19th seed, Karen Khachanov, moved forward after defeating Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3, while 2022 semifinalist Matteo Berrettini secured his win against Cameron Norrie, finishing at 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.
