Indian Wells – Emma Raducanu’s return to form at the BNP Paribas Open was short-lived, as she suffered a swift 6-2, 6-1 defeat to 22nd-ranked Anisimova in just 52 minutes on Sunday. The loss comes after a promising start to the tournament, where Raducanu defeated Anastasia Zakharova 6-1, 6-3 in the second round.
Raducanu, currently ranked 35th in the world, had enlisted Mark Petchey as a temporary coach following her split with Francisco Roig in January. The 22-year-old has been seeking to recapture the form that propelled her to a stunning US Open title in 2021. The partnership with Petchey is aimed at helping Raducanu rediscover her “natural way of playing,” as she stated last week, but the result against Anisimova highlighted the perform still needed.
Raducanu Reflects on Performance
Following the match, Raducanu acknowledged a disparity in power and weight of shot. “If I’m not feeling it, that gap feels more evident in terms of weight of shot, in terms of power,” she explained. “You just feel a little bit behind and your punches aren’t landing as much as theirs are.” She also emphasized the need to discover a balance between aggression and utilizing her strengths, stating, “I need to obviously be aggressive when playing those players, but I think there’s still a long way to head to be doing that and I need to use my strengths and probably mix it up a bit more.”
Despite the disappointing result, Raducanu attempted to maintain a positive outlook. “It’s hard to read much into the game, other than the starting the point really, as there were no rallies,” she said. “But I have to look at what I achieved in the last nine days of practice since I arrived here, and the first match was a good one for me. Today I could let it get me down if I wanted to, but overall I think the days have been better than not.”
Coaching Changes and Recent Form
Raducanu’s decision to reunite with Petchey followed a period of coaching instability. Mark Petchey previously coached Raducanu in 2020, and their initial collaboration in 2025 saw her reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open, winning four matches and achieving what many considered her most impressive run since her US Open triumph. During that period, she compiled a 20-10 record across 10 events, climbing from 60th to 33rd in the world rankings – her highest since the points from her 2021 US Open win dropped in September 2022.
Prior to working with Petchey again, Raducanu appointed Francisco Roig, who had a 17-year association with Rafael Nadal, as her coach ahead of the Cincinnati Open. However, that partnership was short-lived, ending after the Australian Open 2026. According to Raducanu, Roig initiated the split after a candid conversation. “He ended up saying, ‘look, I don’t think this is going in the way we both want it to’ so he ended it really,” Raducanu shared with Sky Sports.
Looking Ahead
Anisimova will now face 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, the 10th seed, in the last 16 of the BNP Paribas Open. For Raducanu, the loss at Indian Wells underscores the ongoing process of finding consistency and a coaching setup that allows her to consistently perform at her highest level. The focus will now shift to evaluating her options and continuing to refine her game as she prepares for the upcoming clay court season.
What comes next for Raducanu remains to be seen, but her commitment to rediscovering her best tennis is clear. Share your thoughts on Raducanu’s performance and future prospects in the comments below.
