Emma Raducanu gets seven-word verdict from opponent who thrashed her 6-1 6-1 | Tennis | Sport
Emma Raducanu suffered a bruising defeat in Indian Wells, winning just two games in a 52-minute thrashing against Amanda Anisimova in the third round. The Brit had a positive 2-1 head-to-head against the world No. 6 going into the match, but Anisimova flipped their rivalry on its head as she stormed to a 6-1 6-1 victory, leaving Raducanu admitting that she had to do better against the top players.
Although it might not have looked that way from the scoreline, Anisimova still believes that Raducanu is a tough opponent to face. The two-time Grand Slam finalist lost to the world No. 25 twice last year at the Australian Open and Miami Open. She then won their Cincinnati Open battle in August, and after a dominant display in Indian Wells, Anisimova said: “It’s never easy to play against Emma.”
Raducanu isn’t the only one who has felt Anisimova’s wrath in Indian Wells. The No. 6 seed got off to a tricky start in her opening match against Anna Blinkova when she lost the first set 7-5. Since then, she’s lost just three games across four seats. Anisimova stormed back to beat Blinkova 5-7 6-1 6-0 before her 6-1 6-1 demolition job against Raducanu.
“I think it’s more so just a mindset that I try to go into and things I try and focus on and really commit to what I’m doing. I think that’s been the biggest shift for me,” Anisimova said of her ruthless approach. “Hopefully, I can try to keep that going. Yeah, I think that’s a big thing for myself and just trusting myself.”
The gap between Raducanu and Anisimova was clear in Sunday’s third-round match. The Brit hit just two winners to 22 unforced errors and struggled to chase down drop shots. In comparison, Anisimova made 21 winners and 15 unforced errors.
Speaking on court after her speedy win, the American said: “I think I can be very pleased with my performance today. I had a tough first round so just went out to be fearless. I wanted to enjoy it and wanted to keep the run going.”
Things will only get tougher for Anisimova now, as she faces teenage sensation Victoria Mboko in the round of 16. The Canadian has enjoyed an incredible rise over the last year. Mboko started 2025 ranked outside of the top 300 and now sits at No. 10 in the world after lifting titles at the WTA 1000 in Canada and Hong Kong. She also finished runner-up in Doha last month.
“When I’m playing someone who’s at the top like that, I think they have an extra 10 miles an hour on their serve than me,” the world No. 24 said.
