“At the end of the day, you’re just playing the ball. Try to take the person out of it and play the ball that comes to you…” said a confident Jodie Burrage on her next opponent, World No.3 Coco Gauff, after clearing the first round at the 2025 Australian Open. Well, the match day has arrived for these two WTA pros. The 2024 WTA Finals winner will go against 156-ranked Brit in the Round of 64 on January 15 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 2023 US Open Winner Gauff has been in sensational form lately. However, Burrage is no slouch either, given her dominant performance in the Round of 128. So who’s going to proceed forward?
Coco Gauff vs Jodie Burrage: Preview
Last season was a bit up and down for Coco Gauff. She began 2024 with a stellar win at the ASB Classic, before making it to the SF round of the 2024 Australian Open as well. In June, she even succeeded in reaching the last eight of the French Open, but couldn’t advance further after losing to five-time Major winner Iga Swiatek.
In between came a dry run when she didn’t win a title. But the drought ended soon in October. She won the China Open after defeating Czechia’s Karolina Muchova in the final. She wrapped up the 2024 season in style with a title win at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, in November. Not to mention the fact that she maintained her position in the top 3 in the world rankings as well.
But the 20-year-old American didn’t stop there and led her country to a second United Cup title earlier this month, starting the new season on a high. In the event’s final, she beat Iga Swiatek with an impressive scoreline of 6-4, 6-4. In her 2025 Australian Open campaign, Gauff easily went past compatriot Sofia Kenin. She beat the latter 6-3, 6-3, and moved into the second round. Can she continue this winning momentum forward?
Speaking of the 25-year-old Jodie Burrage, she won one singles title last season. The WTA pro lifted the trophy at the ITF United Arab Emirates 01A in December. After that, Burrage has been in good, if not excellent, touch lately. In 2025, she started her journey with the ASB Classic in Auckland. There, she lost in the second round of qualifying but entered the main draw as the lucky loser. In the first round, she beat New Zealand’s Vivian Yang. In the next one, however, she lost against World No.68 Hailey Baptiste. Burrage even made it to the qualifying draw at the Adelaide International. There, she lost to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. Coming onto her Australian Open campaign, she beat France’s Leolia Jeanjean 6-2, 6-4 on Monday.
Guaff vs Burrage: Head-to-Head
The 2023 US Open Winner and the Brit have crossed paths only once on a professional level. And guess what? The American is leading the tally 1-0.
2023 Eastbourne International R16: Gauff; 6-1, 6-1
Prediction: Gauff to win in straight sets
Apart from her impressive match results in recent days, Coco Gauff‘s record at the first Major in Melbourne has been quite decent. Out of the 18 matches played here, she’s won 13 of them so far. Her serving skills have been on another level lately. Thanks to her accuracy and fine movement on the court, she’s managed to emerge victorious, irrespective of her opponents. Her title victories in the WTA Finals, the United Cup, and the first round of the ongoing Major make it evident. In the last few months, her athleticism, defense, and strong stroke-making abilities have elevated her in a league of her own.
As for Jodie Burrage, she will be playing in the second round of the Australian Open for the first time. In last year’s edition, she made her Grand Slam debut where she was eliminated too early by Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch. Since 2021, she has won only two matches at the Grand Slams in her five main draw appearances. Last season, she remained out of action for most of the time due to persistent injuries, which means she will have to play out of her skin against Gauff who thrashed Kenin in straight sets in the first round.
Coco Gauff looks to be a clear favorite in this encounter. It’s also because of her impressive h2h record against Burrage. At the Rod Laver Arena, the 20-year-old may wrap things up in straight sets!
Emma Raducanu overcame second-serve wobbles to start her 2025 season with a scrappy win in the Australian Open first round.
The British number two, whose preparations were disrupted by a back injury, won 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
While hitting well from the baseline, Raducanu was hampered by double faults and lost serve six times.
The 2021 US Open champion hit 15 double faults, including a particularly-deflating one on break point when she looked to close out a straight-set victory from a 5-4 30-0 lead.
However, the way she regrouped and dominated another tie-break to get over the line was impressive.
The 22-year-old had a sheepish grin as she walked to the net and said afterwards: “I think my serve had a mind of its own.”
World number 61 Raducanu will face another higher-ranked player next in Amanda Anisimova.
The 23-year-old American, who is ranked 35th having returned from a nine-month mental health break in 2023, beat Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2 6-3 to set up Thursday’s match.
Why Raducanu had second serve wobbles
Raducanu insisted she was “ready to go” in Melbourne after recovering from the back spasm – suffered when she bent down to tie a shoelace – that ruled her out of a season-opening event in Auckland.
Playing her first match since November, it was never likely to be plain-sailing for Raducanu on her Grand Slam return against a seeded player.
Most of the problems were caused by her second serve.
At the BJK Cup in Malaga, Raducanu spoke about tweaking her service motion and elongating the takeback in a search for extra power.
In Malaga, it produced plenty of aces – but that was countered by double faults. A similar pattern followed in Melbourne.
“The amount of double faults is uncomfortable, for sure,” Raducanu said.
“But it is something I had to accept. I’m working on my serve and part of it came with first-round nerves.”
‘Clutch’ tie-breaks see Raducanu through
Raducanu led 3-1 with a break in the first set, but her sixth double fault to send it back on serve drew groans from her many supporters at Melbourne Park.
Worse was to follow.
Raducanu hit three more double faults in a poor ninth game, allowing Alexandrova to move ahead for the first time in the match at 5-4.
But the Russian could not serve out and paid the price as Raducanu played a superb first tie-break.
Raducanu appeared to have settled down in the second set, moving an early break up and confidently holding for a 3-2 lead.
Then the double faults reappeared.
Three more in the sixth game heaped on the pressure, but Raducanu scrambled to save two break points before Alexandrova did take her serve for 4-4.
After failing to serve out at 5-4, Raducanu saved a set point in the 12th game with a first serve which Alexandrova – an aggressive ball-striker who cut a demonstrative figure – whacked a backhand long.
Raducanu again dominated the tie-break, racing 6-0 ahead and clinched victory on her third match point – after hitting a double fault on the first.
“That was the cherry on the top,” Raducanu laughed.
On stepping up in the tie-breaks, she added: “I think that is one of my strengths.
“When it gets to those clutch moments, I relish playing in that.”
Coco Gauff‘s reward for defeating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in her tournament opener sees the American star face Jodie Burrage in Wednesday’s second round.
Although it came 18 months after a shock first-round exit against her compatriot at Wimbledon, Gauff got her revenge and now aims to continue her blistering start to 2025 against her British opponent.
Gauff might have secured a straight-set 6-3, 6-3 victory over Kenin in her tournament opener, but familiar challenges on serve surfaced as the 2023 US Open champion avoided another tournament-opening loss to her countrywoman.
Monday’s victory, sealed in 80 minutes, continues the 20-year-old’s run of avoiding first-round exits since she was bundled out by her first-round opponent at Wimbledon in 2023.
Despite double-faulting nine times against the 26-year-old and accruing 32 unforced errors, the third seed saving five of the six break points she faced was pivotal in sealing passage to the tournament’s second round.
While sterner tests await the 2024 Aussie Open semi-finalist, the young player has continued her blistering start to the season, in which she has yet to drop a set at the United Cup and the opening major of 2025.
Having seemingly exorcised the demons of that tough opening-round defeat at SW19 to Kenin, Gauff will look to continue her momentum against an opponent featuring Down Under for the second time.
Burrage’s path to the second round this year has been slow and steady, as evidenced by her failure to make it past the first match in qualifying in 2022 and losing at the final hurdle the following year before her main draw debut in 2024.
Despite claiming the opening set against Tamara Korpatsch 12 months ago, the British player could not resist her German opponent’s fightback, winning just three of the 15 games in sets two and three as Korpatsch claimed a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
History did not repeat itself on Monday, with Burrage sealing a 6-2, 6-4 success over French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean to advance to only her third Grand Slam second-round appearance and her first since the 2023 US Open.
Despite being five years older than the American, the 25-year-old Briton’s Slam experience pales in comparison to her opponent’s, underscoring the uphill battle in front of the world No. 173.
Head To Head
Eastbourne (2023) – Second round: Gauff 6-1 6-1
The two women have faced off once on the WTA Tour, with Gauff sealing a comfortable success on the grass courts of Eastbourne in 2023.
While much has changed for the American since then, she is playing at a significantly higher level heading into their second tour encounter.
The third seed entered the Australian Open with a 5-0 record this year and extended her winning start against Kenin; by contrast, Burrage was 2-3 heading into the opening major of 2025 and is now 3-3 after Monday’s first-round triumph.
The British player faces Gauff for the second time, having lost three consecutive matches against top-10 opponents, going down to the American at Eastbourne, Daria Kasatkina at Wimbledon and Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open — all second-round losses in 2023.
However, the Briton stunned Paula Badosa in Eastbourne three years ago in straight sets, beating the Spanish player 6-4 6-3 to record her only success over elite players.
Iga Swiatek explains why she got ‘angry’ during her first round match at the Australian Open
Iga Swiatek has made a winning start to the 2025 Grand Slam season, after beating Katerina Siniakova in her first round match at the Australian Open.
Swiatek played on the John Cain Arena for the first time since 2022, but that did not seem to phase her after she enjoyed a straight sets win in Melbourne.
This was the first match that the Pole had played since the United Cup, where Swiatek lost to Coco Gauff in the final.
Iga Swiatek backs change made by the Australian Open
The Australian Open have made a big change this year, with coaches now able to sit courtside on some of the bigger courts.
This innovation has received mixed reviews, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka not a fan of the Australian Open’s decision.
Swiatek was more positive about the change made by the tournament when speaking in her post-match press conference.
“I think it’s much more convenient because, well, we can use the coaching. We don’t need to if we don’t want to,” said Swiatek. “But I think these rules with coaching, they were nice for smaller courts, but if you play on a stadium, it’s impossible to hear the coach anyway.
“Now actually it makes more sense, because both if you play on a smaller court you can use it if you play on the stadium, as well. I think now it finally makes sense (smiling). Yeah, I like it. It’s our choice if we want to use it or not. If you have a good communication with your coach, I think it might work.”
Iga Swiatek explains why she got angry at the Australian Open
Swiatek hit a total of 15 unforced errors in her first match at the Australian Open against Siniakova, with nine of those coming from the backhand wing.
This is something that the five-time major winner admitted was frustrating her, with Swiatek speaking to new coach Wim Fissette during the match.
“Honestly, today I knew what mistakes I did. It was more me talking to Wim and being angry about some shots that I didn’t make as I wanted to (smiling),” continued Swiatek. “Though I don’t think I’m supposed to talk, so let’s pretend I didn’t say that.
“Yeah, I mean, today I didn’t feel like I needed coaching. I knew what I needed to improve. I just focused on the tips that I gave to myself kind of.”
Swiatek now moves onto play world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova in her second round match at the Australian Open.
Top 10 Richest Female Track and Field Athletes: Sha’Carri Richardson, Fraser-Pryce, Gabby Thomas make elite wealthy list in 2025
From mouth-watering endorsement deals to attractive prize monies, these athletics queens and those who made the elite Top 10 richest list are at the forefront, showcasing their prowess, marketability, and reaping financial rewards.
Female track athletes such as Sha’Carri Richardson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Gabby Thomas are not just breaking records but also accumulating substantial wealth.
From mouth-watering endorsement deals to attractive prize monies, these athletics queens and those who made the elite Top 10 richest list are at the forefront, showcasing their prowess, marketability, and reaping financial rewards.
The year 2024 was particularly noteworthy, with several athletes achieving unprecedented financial success through earnings and brand partnerships, endorsements, and business ventures.
In this article, Pulse Sports reveals the Top 10 richest female track athletes in 2025.
10 – Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Net Worth) – $2 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics
Shaunae Miller-Uibo is a Bahamian sprinter who competes in the 200m and 400m. She is a two-time Olympic champion after winning the women’s 400m at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
As of 2024, Miller-Uibo’s net worth is estimated at $2 million. At 30, the Bahamian icon has amassed considerable wealth primarily through her track success.
Her remarkable performances, including multiple Olympic and World Championship medals, have established her as one of the top competitors in the sport, earning her substantial prize money and appearance fees.
9 – Tara Davis-Woodhall (Net Worth) – $2 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics and Business
Tara Davis-Woodhall has quickly gained recognition in the world of athletics by being a multi-talented individual with a diverse range of interests.
She is currently the world’s best long jumper following her impressive victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics, in addition to World Indoor and Diamond League titles last season.
While Tara’s athletic achievements are certainly noteworthy, her entrepreneurial spirit and personal life also add depth to her story. She is married to Hunter Woodhall, a Paralympic athlete, and together, they have become one of the most inspiring couples in the sporting world.
Beyond the track, the 30-year-old American has also ventured into the fashion world with her business, Tara Davis Studio Boutique. As of 2024, her net worth has been estimated at $2 million, thanks to her successful career in sports, endorsements from major brands, and business ventures.
8 – Sanya Richards-Ross (Net Worth) – $2.5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics, Endorsements, Business
Sanya Richards-Ross is a retired American track who competed in the 400m event with Olympic and World Championships medals.
As of 2024, Richards-Ross is estimated to have a net worth of $2.5 million, cementing her status as one of the world’s richest female track and field athletes.
Her athletic achievements garnered lucrative sponsorship deals with major brands such as Nike, contributing substantially to her wealth.
Beyond her athletic prowess, Richards-Ross expanded her financial portfolio through media engagements and entrepreneurship. She has made notable appearances as a sports analyst on major networks like NBC and ESPN, further enhancing her earnings and visibility.
In addition, her autobiography and motivational speaking engagements have added to her income streams.
7 – Dina Asher-Smith (Net Worth) – $2.5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics
Dina Asher-Smith is a British sprinter, who became internationally active in 2011. She became the first British woman to win a world title in a sprint event, after claiming the 200m gold medal at the Doha 2019 Championships.
As of 2024, Asher-Smith boasts an estimated net worth of $2.5 million, and her fortune is driven by remarkable achievements on the track and lucrative modeling endeavors.
As the fastest British woman in recorded history, her sprinting prowess has earned her significant prize money and sponsorship deals, with her marketability extending beyond athletics – modeling gigs for prestigious fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Off-White, which has enhanced her income and global recognition.
6 – Caster Semenya (Net Worth) – $2.5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics
Caster Semenya is the fifth richest track and field athlete on the list, owing to her remarkable career and resilience in the face of adversity.
With her net worth estimated at $2.5 million, the 33-year-old South African middle-distance runner has garnered significant prize money from her numerous victories in major international competitions, including two Olympic gold medals and three World Championship titles.
Her dominance in the 800m did not only earn her a place among the elite but also secured substantial financial rewards, contributing to her impressive net worth.
Semenya was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019.
5 – Allyson Felix (Net Worth) – $4.5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics, Sponsorships & Endorsements, Private-owned businesses
Allyson Felix is arguably the most decorated female sprinter in history and one of the richest, thanks to her illustrious career and strategic endorsements.
With her net worth estimated at $4.5 million, the 38-year-old former American sprint queen accumulated numerous Olympic and World Championship medals.
Her success attracted major sponsorships and endorsement deals from top brands like Nike, Gap Inc., Athleta, and Procter & Gamble, significantly contributing to her wealth.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Felix’s wealth is also bolstered by her advocacy and business ventures. She co-founded the footwear company Saysh, aimed at empowering women athletes, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to social causes.
Gabby Thomas is a two-time Olympian with five medals to her name. During her debut at the Tokyo 2020 games, the 27-year-old earned 200m bronze and silver medal in the 4x100m relay.
In Paris, Thomas acquired three gold medals including one in her signature event, the 200m, as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
As of 2024, the talented sprinter’s net worth is widely reported to be somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, which she amassed through brand deals and sponsorships, as well as her sport.
Throughout her career as a professional athlete, Thomas has teamed up with several brand partners, including New Balance, Whoop, Eli Lilly and Company, SKIMS, Delta Airlines, HOTSHOT, and others.
3 – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Net Worth) – $5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics, Sponsorships & Endorsements, Private-owned businesses
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s impressive net worth of $4.5 million is a testament to her extraordinary career and business acumen.
At 37, the legendary Jamaican is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. She has not only earned accolades on the track but has also excelled in securing lucrative sponsorships and endorsements.
Major deals with companies like Nike and Digicel have significantly contributed to her wealth, reflecting her global appeal and marketability.
In addition to her earnings from athletics and endorsements, Fraser-Pryce has also ventured into entrepreneurship, further boosting her net worth. She owns and operates her own hair salon, Chic Hair Ja, in Kingston, Jamaica, which has become a successful business venture.
2 – Genzebe Dibaba (Net Worth) – $5 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics
Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian middle and long-distance runner. An Olympic and World Championships medallist, Dibaba is the current world record holder for the indoor events of the one mile, 3000m, and 5,00m.
As of 2024, Genzebe Dibaba’s net worth is estimated at an impressive $5 million, placing her among the wealthiest athletes globally, owing primarily to her extraordinary success in athletics.
Beyond her earnings from competitions, the 33-year-old’s wealth is also bolstered by endorsements and sponsorships from prominent sports brands.
1 – Sha’carri Richardson (Net Worth) – $6 million
Source of Wealth: Athletics, Sponsorships & Endorsements
Sha’Carri Richardson stands at the pinnacle of wealth among female track and field athletes in 2025.
As of 2024, Sha’Carri Richardson’s net worth is estimated at an impressive $6 million. At just 24 years old, this American sprint star has not only conquered the track with her lightning-fast speed but also the business world with her savvy endorsements and sponsorships.
Her financial success is anchored by a groundbreaking five-year deal with Nike, inked in 2023, worth a staggering $20 million. This lucrative endorsement followed her triumphs on the world stage, solidifying her status as a global sports icon.
Although her partnership with Nike dates back to 2019, the deal significantly bolstered her financial standing. In addition to her Nike contract, Richardson’s wealth is augmented by several other high-profile endorsements, having already secured deals with Apple Music, Beats, Sprite, and other partnerships further diversifying her income streams.
These endorsements are a testament to her marketability and widespread appeal, both on and off the track.
Coco Gauff next match at Australian Open 2025: TV schedule, scores, results for USA tennis star’s tournament
Coco Gauff will come into the 2025 Australian Open with ambitions of winning her second Grand Slam title and, in the process, jumping to the top of the WTA rankings.
Only 20, the young American star already has a US Open (2023) title to her impressive resume and reached the Australian Open semifinals last year.
The World No 3 has played herself into some great form going into the season’s first major. Having clinched the WTA Finals to finish 2024 on a high, Gauff began the new season by leading her country to United Cup title.
Here is everything you need to know about Coco Gauff’s appearance at the Australian Open 2025, including the latest results from the tournament.
When is Coco Gauff’s next match at Australian Open 2025?
Gauff will take on compatriot Sofia Kenin in the first round of the Australian Open 2025. The day for the match is yet to be determined, with it likely to take place on Monday.
Match schedule, results from Australian Open 2025
Opponent
Round
Date, time (ET), result
Sofia Kenin
1
TBD
How to watch Coco Gauff at Australian Open
TV channel: ESPN, Tennis Channel
Live stream: Fubo, ESPN+
Coco Gauff’s next match will air on ESPN and Tennis Channel nationally. Tennis fans can also stream the match on Fubo and ESPN+.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers so you can try the service before you buy.
For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99, a $30 savings. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Australian Open 2025 schedule
The first round of matches at the Australian Open 2025 will get underway on Sunday, January 12. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 26.
Date
Events
Sunday, January 12
Men’s & Women’s 1st Round
Monday, January 13
Men’s & Women’s 1st Round
Tuesday, January 14
Men’s & Women’s 1st Round
Wednesday, January 15
Men’s & Women’s 2nd Round
Thursday, January 16
Men’s & Women’s 2nd Round
Friday, January 17
Men’s & Women’s 3rd Round
Saturday, January 18
Men’s & Women’s 3rd Round
Sunday, January 19
Men’s & Women’s 4th Round
Monday, January 20
Men’s & Women’s 4th Round
Tuesday, January 21
Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals
Wednesday, January 22
Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals
Thursday, January 23
Women’s Semifinals
Friday, January 24
Men’s Semifinals
Saturday, January 25
Women’s Singles Final, Men’s Doubles Final
Sunday, January 26
Women’s Doubles Final, Men’s Singles Final
Coco Gauff Australian Open results
Here is how far Coco Gauff has advanced each year at the Australian Open:
The last time most casual tennis fans saw Coco Gauff, her US Open title defense had ended in devastating fashion with a fourth-round loss to fellow American Emma Navarro, the same opponent who knocked her out at Wimbledon.
But what a difference four months makes.
After another change in her coaching team, some minor technical adjustments and a little bit of confidence, Gauff enters the Australian Open this week as one of if not the favorite to take home her second Grand Slam title.
It’s been a fascinating journey for the 20-year-old Floridian. After a largely disappointing summer, including a medal-less trip to the Paris Olympics and several early-round losses, something clicked for Gauff last fall. She won the China Open, a prestigious WTA 1000 event, then backed it up by winning a record $4.8 million payday at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.
More importantly, she finished the season with wins over her two biggest rivals in that event, beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who had beaten Gauff in 11 of their previous 12 meetings.
It wasn’t a fluke.
At the United Cup a little more than a week ago to open the 2025 season, Gauff once again beat Swiatek, 6-4, 6-4, helping Team USA win the title and making a major statement that their previously one-sided rivalry had turned.
“Obviously this start of the season gives me a lot of confidence,” she told reporters. “I feel like when I’m playing confident tennis I’m playing great tennis.”
Everything about Gauff’s game looks improved since separating from ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert as her primary coach and adding Matt Daly, a former Notre Dame player who is known as a grip specialist. It has led to Gauff deploying a steadier and more punishing forehand, while fixing some issues with the serve that gave her so much trouble last year.
Barring a pretty big upset in the early rounds, Gauff should be on for a semifinal showdown with Sabalenka, the two-time defending Australian Open champion.
Here are four more things to know about the first major of the tennis season, beginning Saturday evening in the U.S.:
Carlos Alcaraz goes for the career Slam
You have to be a pretty special talent to win two majors in a season and the Olympic silver medal but still come out of 2024 feeling like it was a slight disappointment. But that’s kind of where Alcaraz found himself last year as he battled some injuries, inconsistent stretches and lost significant ground in the rankings to No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
But after adding the Roland Garros title to his haul last spring, the 21-year-old Spaniard needs only an Australian title to complete the career Grand Slam. That’s something only eight men have done, and Alcaraz still has three more chances to displace Rafael Nadal (24 years, 102 days) as the youngest to pull it off.
Alcaraz has not had great success in Australia, but it’s probably just a matter of time. The question for 2025 is whether he’ll show improved proficiency on a fast hard court, where his inability to get easy points with the serve has put him at a slight disadvantage in the past.
Emma Raducanu has revealed she refused to use an antiseptic spray to treat insect bites for fear of failing a drug test before the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old British tennis star said her hand and ankle swelled up but she refused the treatment in case contamination led to a positive doping test.
Raducanu told reporters at a pre-tournament news conference on Friday: “All of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use.
“Yesterday, for example, I got really badly bitten by I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess.
“They flared up and swelled up really a lot.”
She added: “Someone was, like, giving me this antiseptic spray, natural, to try to ease the bites.
“I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to spray it. I was just like left there with my swollen ankle and hand.
“I was, like, I’m just going to tough it out because I don’t want to risk it.
“It’s obviously a concern on our mind. We’re all in the same boat.
“I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can the controllables. If something out of our control happens, then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.”
‘I’m a dangerous opponent for anyone’
Raducanu pulled out of her scheduled warm-up tournament in Auckland last week with what she described as a back niggle, but has been training at Melbourne Park this week.
She said the source of the problem was a spasm suffered while training in London.
“One morning I was warming up, bent over to tie my laces, and I had a spasm. That was really it,” she said.
“It took a while to clear. I’ve had them before. They’ve usually settled within a few days. But this one niggled for a couple of weeks. I had to miss quite a bit of training before I left, wasn’t able to play Auckland.”
Asked how she was feeling ahead of the start of the tournament in Melbourne, she said: “I’ve been feeling good. I think the last 10 days I’ve had a positive block of training.
“Coming back on the court, adapting to the conditions here, has been good for me. Now I feel good and I feel ready to give it my best here.”
She added: “I’ve been playing sets with top players. I’m feeling like I’m holding my own more than okay in those instances and practices.
“I feel pretty good with my game. I’m looking forward to putting it on the match court. I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.”
Raducanu faces a challenging start to the campaign – a first-round match on Monday against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“It’s a tricky draw, of course,” she said.
“Being unseeded, you can play any top opponent. She’s a player with a lot of experience. I guess I’m coming in with the underdog mentality. She’s been in this situation many more times than I have.”
The Grand Slam at Melbourne Park begins on Sunday 12 January.
Earlier this week, WNBA star Angel Reese graced the cover of Vogue and shared the role both basketball and fashion play within her life. While interviewing with the magazine, she also filmed a video sharing a number of beauty secrets she swears by to look and feel her best both on and off the court.
During her conversation with Vogue editor Maya Singer, she told the publication that she has always been able to strike a balance between her two passions. “It’s always been both: basketball and fashion,” she stated. “But I was a fashion girlie from young too. I was always in my mom’s closet, putting on her stuff. I liked to carry a purse. Hair done. I wanted to look put together. I still do.”
As far as her beauty secrets go, that too goes way back to her childhood for the now 22-year-old, who noted that her grandmother used to always put mascara on her lashes before her games as a child. Reese also noted that her penchant for being dolled up before games was how she got her nickname “Bayou Barbie,” as she always had her nails, lashes and hair done.
Here are some additional excerpts from the interview:
On her pre-game routine
“I don’t do too much on the court. That’s my thing: Normalizing being able to be super girly and super cute but also be a dog on the court.”
On Korean brand Laneige
“I don’t go nowhere without my Laneige. I have all of [the Laneige lip products]. I have the Sleeping Mask. I keep my Laneige on the bench. That’s the key. Whenever I get back to the bench [during] time-outs, the Laneige is on.”
On the importance of using blush in her makeup routine
“I’m a blush freak. You’re gonna see my blush from down the block, and that’s just my thing.”
Coverage: Live radio commentary on Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT on BBC 5 Sports Extra, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
Iga Swiatek says she is grateful for the support from her fellow players since she returned from a one-month doping suspension.
Five-time major winner Swiatek’s positive test for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in August was accepted as being caused by contamination.
The ban was not made public until November, and Poland’s Swiatek said she felt “pretty awkward” about not being able to say why she missed three tournaments during that time.
Swiatek attributed her absence at the time to fatigue, personal reasons and a change of coach.
Four-time French Open champion Swiatek said she considered announcing the reason for her absence sooner but decided it would be “easier to tell the whole story when it is complete”.
In a news conference at the Australian Open, Swiatek said: “It was probably the worst time in my life.
“The fact I had no control over this whole situation and I had no chance to avoid it made it even worse because I’m a control freak a little bit.
“Having the feeling that everything that I built can be taken away so quickly because of something you have no control over was pretty crazy for me and really abstract.”
Swiatek competed at the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals after her provisional suspension was lifted, but before her ban was made public.
The 23-year-old previously said she was “scared” of a hostile reaction from her fellow players.
“In the locker room, the girls are great. They are really supportive,” said Swiatek.
“Most of them approached me. They’re like, ‘how can we avoid this? Is there any way that we can be more careful?’
“They are worried this can happen to them as well.
“I really appreciate that, because it made me feel better when I came back and I didn’t know how it was going to be.”
Swiatek begins her Australian Open campaign against Czech Katerina Siniakova, with the tournament starting on Sunday.
The handling of Swiatek’s ban and the case of world number one Jannik Sinner – who received no ban and was cleared of wrongdoing after testing positive for a banned substance – have drawn criticism.
Nick Kyrgios described the two high-profile cases as “disgusting” for tennis.
Italy’s Sinner says he still does not know when the hearing to settle his ongoing doping controversy will take place.
The Italian, who is the defending men’s singles champion at the Australian Open, tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol, which was accepted as being caused by contamination.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the decision to clear him of blame.
“I know exactly as much as you guys know,” Sinner told media in Melbourne.
“It’s something I have with me already for quite a long time. But it is what it is.
“I’m here trying to prepare for the Grand Slam. Let’s see how it goes.”
Sinner had the most successful season of his career to date in 2024, winning two major titles, the season-ending ATP Finals, and leading Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup triumphs.
Sinner added: “In my mind I know exactly what happened. That’s how I block it.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing. I don’t want to respond to what Nick [Kyrgios] said or what other players say.”
Sinner begins his campaign against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry at Melbourne Park.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu said she avoided using antiseptic spray on a recent bite that caused her ankle to swell, such is the care she feels she must take to avoid positive tests for prohibited substances.
“I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” Raducanu said.
“It’s obviously a concern on our minds. We’re all in the same boat. I think it’s just how we manage the controllables as best as we can.
“If something out of our control happens then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.”
