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Emma Raducanu says 'Wimbledon can do much more' after spending week at Australian Open
Reach Daily Express | January 24, 2026 6:39 AM CST

Emma Raducanu admitted her delight at the "rowdy" Melbourne atmosphere despite her Australian Open hopes ending prematurely. The British number one played in Melbourne Park's carnival-like environment and hopes Wimbledon might eventually embrace a similar approach, with the All England Club's site expansion plans underway.

The Australian Open has evolved into a three-week spectacle, featuring high-profile exhibition matches during qualifying rounds and live concerts held in smaller arenas throughout the tournament. Raducanu, who picked up the affectionate Australian moniker 'Raddo' following her opening-round victory over Mananchaya Sawangkaew, commented: "So much happens here. There's a lot of concerts.

"Even in between the games, you see all the boards just flashing ads of what's going on. I saw Peggy Gou is coming here, which is cool, but she won't be here for a while. I think it's cool that they can use the space, and there's such a big arena.

"I think you feel it the most on John Cain, where there's such a big space on the sides that's difficult to get used to because on a big court sometimes you can get lost with where you are, and the run back is so big. But I really like Margaret Court. It's a really intimate court, but a nice one and I feel like the atmosphere there is always amplified.

"I think the crowd is definitely quite vocal and rowdy in a good way, which I love. They get into it. It is very difficult playing an Aussie. I played one in Hobart and it was a much smaller tournament, so here it must be difficult."

The world No. 29 has expressed her hope that Wimbledon might adopt a similar atmosphere should their proposed expansion plans come to fruition.

Despite being a Major champion, she's still navigating the competitive world of practice court allocation and values having additional facilities available.

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The 23 year old added: "I think the practice courts and the practice situation makes a big difference. Here, there are a lot of practice courts at the national tennis centre, but you always are crossing your fingers hoping you get to practice on one of the courts on this side, so you have to walk a bit less.

"I think that back home at Wimbledon right now, because I was seeded, it helped and I got good slots. It is quite dependent on your ranking. It's not as favourable as people might think it is, but you have to fight for your good court times and you deserve it and earn it, which I don't think is a bad thing.

"But I think that the extra space would be really, really beneficial for the tournament. I think they could do much more and it would be really fun. You definitely sense a hierarchy on practice times, that's the big one. Practice courts, that's another one. You have to work your way up there to get the good slots and good courts."


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