The 4th face-off!

Emma Raducanu finally seems to have found a sense of completeness in 2026. Her clear win over Anastasia Zakharova (6-1, 6-3) in the previous round was a reminder of how much she’s still a streaky player, capable of producing top-level tennis when she feels physically free. Without a fixed coach after her split with Francisco Roig, she’s navigating on instinct, relying on her usual training structures. Always important to shine in the first match with a new sponsor! Job done!

On the other side of the net, Amanda Anisimova has once again become a major force on tour under the guidance of Carlos Rodriguez. The world number 6 had a scare against Anna Blinkova, losing the first set before rolling out some devastating tennis to close it out (5-7, 6-1, 6-0). The anecdote from that match is revealing: after a frustrating start where she seemed annoyed by the windy desert conditions, she managed to flip a mental switch completely and didn’t let her opponent win another game. Her almost unshakable calm off the court contrasts more and more with the violence of her groundstrokes, especially her backhand, which makes her a serious contender for the title this week.

This match-up offers a contrast between Emma’s tactical variety and Amanda’s linear power. On the slow courts of Indian Wells, the Brit has the tools to neutralize her opponent’s first strikes and force the American to play extra shots. The serving stats from the previous round show that Emma was far more dominant on her own delivery, whereas Amanda needed significant time to find her range. In a duel where both players know each other inside out, Raducanu’s ability to apply constant pressure right from the start against an Anisimova who can be a bit of a slow starter suggests an extremely hard-fought encounter where every game will be fiercely contested.