Emma Raducanu beat Sloane Stephens in three sets to secure victory in the opening round of the Australian Open. The US Open champion won 6-0 2-6 6-1 against Stephens on her senior debut in the tournament. The 19-year-old said it was a difficult match for the first round due to Stephens’ athleticism. "I knew there would be some long rallies because her athleticism is right up there. I had to work extremely hard for those points," Emma Raducanu. Raducanu’s preparations for the tournament were less than ideal after she contracted COVID-19. She then went on to lose 6-0 6-1 to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in her opening match of the year in Sydney. Raducanu will now face Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in the second round.