John McEnroe explains why Emma Raducanu ‘has a shot’ of upsetting Iga Swiatek in Australian Open third round
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek is 3-0 in the head-to-head meeting against her Australian Open third-round opponent Emma Raducanu.
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Iga Swiatek, John McEnroe, Emma Raducanu (Images via X, The Telegraph)
The third round of the 2025 Australian Open on January 18 will feature a match between two high-profile players. 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, after getting the better of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova, will be squaring off against World No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
Both Raducanu and Swiatek didn’t play a singles tournament in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Swiatek participated in the United Cup and took Poland to the final, while the 22-year-old withdrew from the ASB Classic due to a back niggle.
The odds are stacked against Raducanu, for she never defeated the former World No.1 in their three encounters. In spite of their head-to-head records and Swiatek being a semifinalist at Melbourne Park, tennis great John McEnroe thinks the Brit could create a major upset on Saturday.
When you play a top player like Iga who’s not as comfortable on hard courts as she is on clay, it’s a good time to play her when she’s not quite sure of herself. She’s not quite sure where her game is at. Raducanu is making progress, and it may be a tall order, but if she is feeling right, she’s got a shot at it. It’s good to see her back in the mix.
John McEnroe told Eurosport
Swiatek so far hasn’t faced any problems in the tournament. She defeated Katerina Siniakova in the first round, before registering her 24th bagel in Majors since 2020 during her straight-set win over Rebecca Sramkova.
Emma Raducanu jokes she’ll need 15th gear to knock out Iga Swiatek
The match against Iga Swiatek will be Emma Raducanu‘s toughest test. She has declared already that she has nothing to lose and will be doing her best to upset the five-time Grand Slam champion.
[I probably have to reach] 15th gear if that exists. It’s a great opportunity for me. I can just go out there and swing, play, enjoy the atmosphere. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great match and a great opportunity for me to play in front of an amazing atmosphere, which I love the most.
Emma Raducanu told Eurosport
Raducanu, who has yet to clinch a WTA title since her historic run at the 2021 US Open, has reached the third round in Melbourne for the first time. Last year, she got eliminated in the second round.
Swiatek, on the other hand, too had an early exit as Linda Noskova defeated her in the third round. She has won four French Open titles and a US Open but has progressed to the last four in the Major event Down Under just once, in 2022.
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Gouri Das
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