Emma Raducanu handed major title boost in second tournament of 2026
NewsTuesday, 13 January 2026 at 15:30
Emma Raducanu got a big step closer to winning the 2026 Hobart International title, despite still having yet to finish her first-round match.
Raducanu started her 2026 season at the United Cup. She withdrew from her first match of the season, but then played against Maria Sakkari in what was her first match of 2026. The British player lost in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 1-6.
She then travelled to Tasmania to compete at the Hobart International. As the top seed in the draw, Raducanu is one of the top favorites to lift the trophy at the WTA 250 event in Hobart, and her chances of winning the title at the event have now significantly improved.
Raducanu started her first-round match against Camila Osorio. The Colombian player needed a wild card to enter the main draw of the event, as she is currently ranked 82nd in the WTA Rankings. However, Osorio is a player capable of causing upsets, even though she prefers clay courts to hard courts.
Raducanu won the first set of the match 6-3, but she fell 2-4 behind in the second set, before the match had to be stopped because of rain at 40-40 in the eighth game of the second set. That match will finish as the second match at the Centre Court on Wednesday.
What might motivate both players is the fact that the winner of this match will advance directly to the quarter-finals, despite the fact that the match they are playing is a first-round match. The reason is simple. Magdalena Frech, who was supposed to be the second-round opponent of the winner of this match, withdrew from the tournament.
Frech won her first match against Elsa Jacquemot, but subsequently withdrew from the Hobart International because of an injury. That means Raducanu could reach the quarter-finals at the WTA 250 event just by winning one match.
Emma Raducanu aims to get used to the Hobart International conditions
Raducanu has never played at the Hobart International before. This year marked her debut in Tasmania, and speaking ahead of the event, she admitted that getting used to the conditions would be crucial for her success in Hobart.
"The wind is quite strong here, so getting used to that is a big thing. It’s a lot of adapting and improvising. You probably have to accept that you’re not going to feel like you’re hitting the ball amazingly all the time. It’s all part of the skill set you need to play in all types of conditions. It’ll be a good test and challenge."
Raducanu will want to beat Osorio, as avoiding the second-round match against Frech will give her enough time to see Tasmania.
"I’m really grateful to be here in Hobart and to see Tasmania. I’m just happy to be here. It’s somewhere I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to go if it wasn’t for tennis, so I’m really happy that it has brought me here. I can see the beautiful sights, and hopefully I get to explore a little bit more. I love nature, so it’s a really pretty place to be."
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