Emma Raducanu will have to produce some of her best tennis after being handed a tricky Australian Open draw. The world No 60 will face the 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round next week and could,

Unseeded Emma Raducanu is set for a very tricky opener at the Australian Open after suffering a setback and being forced to miss Auckland due to a back injury. On Thursday, the draw for this year's Happy Slam was released and the 2021 US Open champion learned that she would take on world No. 27 Ekaterina Alexandrova in round one.

Djokovic could face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, while Alexander Zverev a possible opponent in the semi-finals and Jannik Sinner on the opposite side of the draw

Following a period of rest, though, Raducanu is now firmly focused on the Australian Open and making a positive start to the 2025 tennis season. How can I watch Australian Open te

The Briton will take on the world No 27 – while Djokovic and new coach Murray face a brutal route to the trophy

January with Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic in action; watch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+ via Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky

Her failure to take to the court in Auckland means Raducanu will head into the Australian Open without any competitive action under her belt since she won three successive matches

Emma Raducanu has been plagued by injuries in the early stages of her career, and John McEnroe is concerned the Brit's mindset could be having a negative impact