Rain-hit match ends with Emma Raducanu’s first win of the year

Emma Raducanu claimed her first win of the 2026 season by defeating Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at the Hobart International, completing the match a day after rain forced a suspension.

The British player had taken the opening set before play was halted on Tuesday with Osorio leading 4-2 in the second. When the match resumed on Wednesday, Raducanu recovered from the break deficit, forcing a tie-break and sealing victory with a strong finish. She reacted with visible relief after closing out the contest.

Speaking after the match, Raducanu said the conditions made the contest challenging, noting the difficulty of stopping and starting play and the unusual experience of having to wait overnight to complete a match. She also praised Osorio’s performance and expressed satisfaction at how she managed to turn the match around.

The win marked Raducanu’s first since September, after she ended her 2025 season early due to injury. Her off-season preparations were also disrupted by light bone bruising in her right foot, limiting her training time. The Hobart match was only her second of the year, following a defeat to Maria Sakkari at the United Cup.

As the top seed in Hobart, Raducanu benefited from the withdrawal of second-round opponent Magdalena Frech through injury, avoiding the need to play twice in one day. She will now face Australian wildcard Taylah Preston in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

The former US Open champion, who finished last season inside the world’s top 30 for the first time since 2021, is using the Hobart International as preparation for the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Sunday.