Emma Raducanu’s run at Indian Wells concluded unexpectedly with a swift defeat, lasting just 52 minutes, against Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova.
While Raducanu appeared to be in peak form during her prior straight-sets victory against qualifier Anastasia Zakharova, she faltered dramatically when facing Anisimova, succumbing to a decisive 6-1, 6-1 loss.
Rather than displaying uninhibited and assured play, Raducanu seemed constrained and anxious, which impacted her execution. This was markedly different from Anisimova, who characterized her play as “fearless” and successfully avoided any break points throughout the match.
Of their three prior encounters, all occurring in 2025, Raducanu emerged victorious twice. However, as Anisimova began the match aggressively, Raducanu found herself unable to counter. This performance brought to mind their Montreal match, where the British player managed to secure only three games during a 64-minute defeat.
Anisimova, recognized for her precise ball-striking, advanced to two Grand Slam championship matches last year, notably suffering a ‘double bagel’ defeat at Wimbledon. Nevertheless, she has since refined her play, even reviewing that Wimbledon final before her US Open clash with Iga Swiatek, subsequently reaching the final there.
Holding the sixth seed position in Palm Springs, she presented a formidable challenge, effortlessly breaking Raducanu’s serve with a varied repertoire of shots that left the British No. 1 largely defenseless, her movement seeming restricted. Anisimova executed multiple drop shots that Raducanu made no effort to pursue, though it’s improbable this would have altered the match’s result.
Raducanu struggled to establish any control in the match after dropping her serve in the opening game. The renewed intensity she had shown in the prior round was entirely absent.
Anisimova showcased exceptional tennis, claiming the first set 6-1 with minimal effort in under thirty minutes, tallying 10 winners compared to Raducanu’s sole winner.
However, the most significant disparity lay in Anisimova’s serving. During the initial set, she secured more than 87 percent of points when her first serve found its mark, which occurred nearly two-thirds of the time. In contrast, Raducanu landed her first serve less than half the time and lacked similar potency. Her serve was frequently directed toward Anisimova’s potent backhand, enabling her opponent to dictate play.
Raducanu’s serve had consistently been a weakness throughout the season, leading to an average of four service breaks per match before Indian Wells. While it appeared more robust against Zakharova following a revised motion, these issues resurfaced prominently in the third round. Throughout the entire match, she managed to win only six points on her first serve.
Following a challenging first set, Raducanu promptly approached Mark Petchey and her support team for guidance, yet the subsequent set unfolded with a very similar outcome to the initial one.
Prior to Indian Wells, Raducanu had expressed her wish to revert to what she termed her “innate style of play,” which she claimed had been suppressed by coaching. However, against Anisimova, minimal evidence of this inherent spontaneity and agility was visible.
Petchey had rejoined her coaching staff in a temporary capacity, though he cannot dedicate as much time as he did last year, and appeared rather dejected in her spectator box in Palm Springs.
While the Indian Wells tournament didn’t unfold as Raducanu envisioned, she has limited opportunity to improve her performance before needing to defend crucial points in Miami, which marks the latter half of the ‘Sunshine Double’ and is scheduled in approximately 10 days.
