By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, March 6, 2026
Photograph credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
INDIAN WELLS—All of the world’s a stage.
Emma Raducanu starred on the foremost stage successful the 2021 US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier.
Lately, Raducanu relishes function participant standing.
An hour after the Raducanu rolled Anastasia Zakharova 6-1, 6-3, in her Indian Wells opener, she met the media in interview room 3 and shared one among her off-court pursuits: pretending she’s another person and concocting character again tales.
“I’m Ella rather a lot, which is kind of comparable,” Raducanu mentioned of the tales she tells espresso baristas and other people she meets who don’t know her as a world-famous Grand Slam champion. “I traveled to America to go to my buddy on a spot 12 months—I’m nonetheless on a spot 12 months I’m like 23 years previous. Nonetheless on a spot 12 months visiting my buddy and dealing at a summer time camp.”
At this time, Raducanu reconnected along with her true tennis self earlier than a supportive crowd on Stadium 4.
Sporting a pale, blue Uniqlo gown in her first match since parting with Nike attire, Raducanu was calling the photographs. Taking the ball early and redirecting down the traces at occasions—particularly when returning serve from the advert aspect of the courtroom—Raducanu reeled off eight of the primary 10 video games.
“I believe I performed nice. I got here off the courtroom and I used to be actually happy with all the pieces on my sport,” Raducanu mentioned. “I believe I performed properly general.
“I believe I served properly, I returned properly and was actually stable off the again. Alexandra is a tough opponent—she’s performed three matches already on these courts. She performs a very quick sport fashion the place she goes for all the pieces. I believe I weathered the storms very well and dealt along with her tempo after which performed my sport.”
Tennis Channel analyst Mark Petchey, who labored with Raducanu as coach final spring and summer time, is again in her nook for Indian Wells.
Working with Petchey, Raducanu posted a few of her greatest leads to years throughout the 2025 season. Petchey had agreed to work with Raducanu by way of the tip of the grass-court season, however couldn’t decide to teaching her full time due to his tv commentary obligations. Raducanu posted a 28-21 report in 2025 breaking serve 38 p.c over the course of these 49 matches.
Splitting with Francisco Roig—her ninth coach—after the Australian Open this 12 months, Transylvania Open runner-up Raducanu mentioned she’s happy along with her Palm Springs practices and aiming to play extra proactive tennis.
“Getting ready for Indian Wells the final seven days I used to be right here, I used to be training in a means I loved,” Raducanu mentioned. “I used to be seeing progress, transferring in a great way, feeling higher and making an attempt to unlock that sport fashion I get pleasure from enjoying and luxuriate in feeling. In order that was actually useful. I felt ready and I felt able to battle once more and right now was an amazing outcome.”
