Tough to swallow' – Raducanu looks back on crushing loss at Indian Wells

Raducanu

By Enitan Abdultawab

Emma Raducanu has admitted her loss to Amanda Anisimova at the BNP Paribas Open was “difficult to take” after the British star was beaten in just 52 minutes in their third-round clash.

Raducanu was overwhelmed 6–1, 6–1 by the American, who applied relentless pressure from the opening game and never allowed the former US Open champion to settle into the match.

Anisimova, currently ranked world No. 6, broke Raducanu’s serve in the opening game and quickly built momentum. With a double break, she surged to a 4–1 lead in the first set and closed it out comfortably, leaving Raducanu struggling to respond.

The second set followed a similar pattern as Anisimova immediately broke again and maintained control throughout. Although Raducanu managed to win a game midway through the set, she was unable to mount a comeback as the American sealed victory with another break.

Reflecting on the defeat, Raducanu acknowledged the challenge of facing an opponent who dominated from the start.

“It was difficult to come close to putting my stamp on the match,” she said. “That goes with playing Amanda — she’s that sort of opponent who likes to put her stamp on it first.”

Despite the heavy loss, the Briton tried to draw positives from her performance, noting that her opening match at the tournament — a straight-sets victory over Anastasia Zakharova — had shown encouraging signs.

“I have to take some positives. The first match here was better than a lot of matches I’ve been playing recently, but a match like that is never easy to take,” Raducanu added.

The tournament also marked Raducanu’s reunion with coach Mark Petchey on a temporary basis after she parted ways earlier this year with Francisco Roig.

Meanwhile, top seed Aryna Sabalenka progressed to the last 16 after a 6–4, 6–1 victory over Jaqueline Cristian. She will next face Naomi Osaka, who battled past Camila Osorio 6–1, 3–6, 6–1.

The upcoming clash will mark the first meeting between Sabalenka and Osaka since their only previous encounter at the US Open in 2018, where Osaka emerged victorious.