Given 28th seed Raducanu has struggled for consistency since winning the 2021 US Open, looking too far ahead in a draw still feels dangerous.
But she has made encouraging strides over the past year, improving her fitness and showing more resilience.
If Raducanu goes on to face Sabalenka, it will provide another opportunity to prove she is capable of beating the very best.
All four of her defeats at last year’s Grand Slams came against the world’s leading stars – who Raducanu said had extra motivation to beat her.
Raducanu was handed one-sided defeats by six-time major champion Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open and French Open, and then tested Sabalenka at Wimbledon before falling in straight sets.
At the US Open, Raducanu claimed just three games as she was demolished by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Taking the scalp of a star name is not vital, but it would prove Raducanu has the ability to beat the best. It would also ensure the rest of the locker room sharpens its focus on her.
As a lower seed, Raducanu knew she would face one of the top eight in the Melbourne third round if she gets there.
Sabalenka probably would not have been her first choice.
While Raducanu threatened to topple her in Cincinnati last year, the 27-year-old Belarusian has a formidable record on the Australian hard courts and won the Brisbane International last week.
There are no guarantees that Sabalenka will progress to the last 32.
But if she does not beat 118th-ranked Rakotomanga Rajaonah, and then Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or a qualifier, it would be a seismic shock.
