TASMANIAN DEBUT: WHY DID EMMA RADUCANU CHOOSE HOBART FOR 2026 PREP
Emma Raducanu joins Jack Draper for a high-stakes January. Will this packed schedule finally bring the Brit a second major title?
Emma Raducanu is getting ready for the 2026 Australian Open by signing up for another early-season tournament.
The 2021 US Open champ is adding the Hobart International to her schedule before the Australian Open. This news comes after it was announced that she'd begin her season at the United Cup.
The Hobart International confirmed Raducanu's participation on Wednesday via their Instagram account, saying, Grand Slam champ vibes at Hobart 2026, brought to us by Emma Raducanu.
The Hobart International, a WTA 250 event, will happen January 12-17 at the Domain Tennis Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. The event started in 1994, and American McCartney Kessler is the current champion.
This will be Raducanu’s second tournament of 2026, following the United Cup, a mixed-gender team match in Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth, January 2-11. Raducanu will play with ATP Tour star Jack Draper for Great Britain.
Great Britain is in Group E with Greece and Japan, and their matches will be in Perth.
So, Raducanu has a packed January. The Australian Open main draw starts January 18, the week after the Hobart International.
Why Emma Raducanu Could Move Up the Rankings in Early 2026
Raducanu is currently ranked 29th in the WTA with 1,563 points, and her schedule gives her a solid chance to improve her ranking before the Australian Open.
She's not defending any points until the Australian Open since she began her 2025 season at the Melbourne Grand Slam. She had planned to play in the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland this year but had to pull out due to a back injury.
Players can gain up to 500 points at the United Cup, so Raducanu could benefit if Great Britain does well.
She’ll then have another shot at earning points at the Hobart International, which offers 250 points to the winner.
Some good results could help Raducanu climb the rankings, as she is close behind Sofia Kenin (No. 28) by 26 points, Dayana Yastremska (No. 27) by 41 points, Marta Kostyuk (No. 26) by 96 points, and Paula Badosa (No. 25) by 113 points.
Raducanu will be defending 130 points at the Australian Open since she reached the third round at this year’s event.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.