Tim Henman sets 'realistic' target for Emma Raducanu at 2026 Australian Open - 'She's moving in the right direction'
Updated 14/01/2026 at 15:02 GMT
The Australian Open is on the horizon and Britain's hopes in the women's draw will be for Emma Raducanu to compete for glory in the first Grand Slam of the season. The 23-year-old is on the way back from injury and has had less-than-ideal preparation but former British No. 1 Tim Henman has backed her to succeed in Melbourne, outlining a "realistic" goal for the world No. 29.
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Tim Henman believes progressing to the second week of the Australian Open is a "realistic" ambition for Emma Raducanu.
The Brit has had limited preparation for the upcoming Grand Slam - which will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+ later this month.
Raducanu, who was out of action for several weeks after sustaining a foot injury in October, played just one match at the recent United Cup in Perth, losing to Greece's Maria Sakkari.
She faced Camila Osorio in the first round of the Hobart International on Tuesday and won a rain-delayed contest 6-3 7-6(2).
Despite her limited build-up to the year's first Grand Slam, Henman believes Raducanu can do well in Melbourne.
"When I think about Emma Raducanu and her progress from the end of last year into this year, she's moving in the right direction, but she's had this problem with her foot," said the former British No. 1.
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"To see her out on the match court is exciting. She just played one match at United Cup and I think performed well against Sakkari, but Sakkari played very, very well.
"Raducanu is in Hobart now. So I just want her to build that physical resilience. To me, there's no question about her tennis ability. So if she builds her fitness, I would like to see her in the second week of the Australian Open. I think that's realistic.
"She is going to be seeded. She's been around No. 29 in the world, so that gives her a little bit of protection.
"But could she win three matches in Melbourne? Definitely. I think if I could sign a contract and she was through to the round of 16, I think that would be a great start to the year."
Henman also gave his verdict on Raducanu's progress under her latest coach, Francisco Roig.
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"I really cannot speak highly enough of him. He was great, fun to be around," Henman said of Roig.
"I feel his knowledge and his input on the court, practice court, match court is really excellent. And I think they're building a really good relationship.
"So I would love for Emma and Francis to keep going. I think they're making a lot of progress, building in all the right areas. And as I said, a lot of it is also in the gym to build that physical resilience.
"They finished the year [ranked] 29, but actually, when you look at a few of the matches, certainly at the end of the year against [Barbora] Krejcikova and against [Jessica] Pegula, she had match points, Emma, in both those matches. And if she comes through those and wins a couple more, she easily could finish in the top 20.
"For 2026, for Emma to finish in the top 20 is a realistic goal."
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open
All the action from Melbourne will be available live and on-demand via TNT Sports and its streaming platform discovery+.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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