Emma Raducanu will face a new challenge in the second round of the Australian Open – playing one of her good friends.

The British No. 2 takes on Amanda Anisimova as she bids to reach the third round in Melbourne for the first time.

The pair have never faced off on the court, but know each other well, spending time together away from the sport. And Anisimova shared her true feelings about Raducanu ahead of their showdown.

Anisimova and Raducanu have previously shared photos from their hangouts on Instagram but they will now be forced to put their friendship to one side as they face off for a spot in the third round.

Ahead of her clash with Raducanu – who she branded a “great” and “very intelligent player” – the world No. 35 opened up on their bond.

“She’s a friend of mine so it will be a bit interesting but I’m sure that we will both give it our all and I’m looking forward to the battle,” Anisimova said.

“We’ve both been around the tour. We’re the same age. We also have a mutual friend, Priscilla Hon. We’ve hung out a few times all together. She’s a nice girl.

“She’s always bringing a good energy into the room. Also an amazing competitor. I’m looking forward to the match. I’m sure it will be a good one.”

It will be a relatively new experience for Raducanu to play one of her close friends but Anisimova has already maintained that there will be no hard feelings before and after the match.

The 23-year-old added: “We definitely don’t avoid each other, we still say hi, talk to each other as normal. I think it’s up until the actual match that we start to get more serious.

“But I personally don’t take it so seriously. It’s not like we’re going to war with each other.

“There’s no need to kind of avoid each other at the end of the day. But once we’re on the court, we just try and put our best tennis out there and just enjoy it.”

Like Raducanu, Anisimova enjoyed a breakthrough when she was just a teenager. Aged just 17, she stunned reigning champion Simona Halep at the 2019 French Open. It was a breakthrough season for the American, who also lifted her first title.

But the world No. 35 struggled with burnout and her mental health, taking an indefinite break from the sport in the spring of 2023. The time away did her some good and Anisimova returned to competition a year ago.

Raducanu can relate to the difficulty of rising to the top of the sport at such a young age – she won the 2021 US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier.

Reflecting on her shared experiences with Anisimova, she said: “I think there are challenges in the sense of obviously you get a lot of attention. Maybe certain decisions are judged or what you’re doing is potentially criticised.

“At the same time I feel like it’s given us a great platform to be able to have opportunities, to be able to invest in our team, to be able to enjoy playing on big courts, for example.

“So even though there comes challenges, I think I want to look at the positive and optimistic side, as well.”