With Emma Raducanu’s victory over Amanda Anisimova at Kia Arena, she ensured Australian Open 2025 would be a record-equalling tournament for the British contingent in Melbourne.
MORE: All the results from AO 2025
There had already been a record number of wins for British players in the first round (six). However, only three times previously (in 2013, 2017 and 2023), since the Grand Slam moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, had three British players – male and female combined – progressed to round three.
But Raducanu’s 6-3 7-5 triumph followed on from wins on Wednesday for Jack Draper and Jacob Fearnley, who earlier in the week downed Nick Kyrgios.
Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage, though, were knocked out, losing to Jana Fett and Coco Gauff respectively.
Burrage offered some resistance to Gauff, and at one stage even threatened to take the second set, but could not maintain her levels, although she is another player that could have a bright future, as she showed in her straight sets first-round win over Leolia Jeanjean.
After her win over Anisimova, Raducanu gave a shout-out to her good friend Katie Boulter. The 22-year-old had, at one point in her match, looked over to her box and pointed to her head, replicating Boulter’s trademark celebration.
“I don't know if Katie saw that,” smiled Raducanu. “If Katie saw that, she might have a little word. I think she's the OG of that one. We have a good relationship, so I'm sure she won't mind me using it in clutch moments.”
And it was Boulter who the onus fell on to break new ground for the Brits at the AO.
It was not to be, though. Britain’s players had to settle for a slice of history, but not the whole pie, as Boulter lost 7-6(3) 2-6 6-2 to Veronika Kudermetova.
Still, this AO campaign is proving to be one that ranks right up there among the best for the Brits.
Raducanu is into the third round of the AO for the first time. Indeed, she has not reached this stage of a hard-court Grand Slam since she did so at Flushing Meadows, en route to her US Open 2021 triumph.
The world No.61 had not played much tennis in the build-up to AO 2025, but showed little signs of rustiness in her first-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, in which she struck nine aces – she only served more twice in her career in a WTA main draw match (11 v Daria Snigur in Nottingham and v Yue Yuan in Seoul, both last season).
Prior to beating Anisimova, Raducanu was the only woman to lose in the second round of the AO in each of the last three seasons – she has at least bucked that trend now.
Next up for the 22-year-old, who remains the only qualifier in the Open era to win a Slam, is world No.2 Iga Swiatek. Raducanu has lost three times to the Pole, but she will be hoping to end that unwanted record, too.
Draper has had to do it the hard way at AO 2025, going the distance against Mariano Navone and Thanasi Kokkinakis, playing back-to-back five-setters for the first time in his career.
He is now 3-1 in Grand Slam matches that have gone all the way, though, and he will take on another Aussie – Aleksandar Vukic – next, in his first appearance in an AO third round.
READ: Five reasons we love Jack Draper
Draper has won his past 14 completed matches at ATP level against unseeded opponents.
Fearnley, meanwhile, moved up a remarkable 547 places in the ATP rankings last season (646 to 99) – he was the biggest mover over the course of 2024, among players who finished in the top 100.
In just his second main draw appearance at a Slam, Fearnley claimed a win over Kyrgios at the start of the week, and then beat Arthur Cazaux. Second seed Alexander Zverev awaits.
With such tough ties for Raducanu and Fearnley, and a home hope going up against Draper, round three could spell the end of the road for the Brits, but they have nevertheless grasped the chance to shine while winter grips back home.