Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova will face Emma Raducanu in the third round of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open. This could be an intriguing matchup between two young players who have not met expectations so far this year. This could be a close matchup that may well come down to the fine margins.
Match Details: Emma Raducanu vs. Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells
Date: March 8, 2026
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open 2026
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, USA
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category: WTA 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Raducanu vs. Anisimova Head-to-Head Record
Raducanu leads the head-to-head 2-1, defeating Anisimova in straight sets at the 2025 Australian Open and Miami Open. The American did win in straight sets the last time these two players met, at the 2025 Canadian Open.
Anisimova goes into this contest with an 8–4 win–loss record in 2026. While she has so far not lived up to the lofty ambitions she set for herself after a breakthrough 2025 on the WTA Tour, she did reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the semifinals in Dubai, losing to Jessica Pegula on both occasions.
The 24-year-old had to do it the hard way in her Indian Wells opener, but she did manage to overcome Anna Blinkova in the end, winning 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.
It has been a topsy-turvy start to 2026 for Raducanu, who made the final at the Transylvania Open, where she lost to Sorana Cîrstea in straight sets.
Other than that, the Brit has struggled to make much of a splash on the WTA Tour and also parted ways with her coach, Francisco Roig, after the Australian Open.
Raducanu cruised past Anastasia Zakharova in the second round at Indian Wells, and the 6-1, 6-3 win will no doubt give her plenty of confidence going into the match against Anisimova.
Match Prediction: Anisimova vs. Raducanu
Anisimova’s serve has been inconsistent at times this year, though she remains potent when her first serve is clicking.
The American also holds a modest overall record at Indian Wells, with the conditions not necessarily the best suited to her usually aggressive style of play.
Raducanu has been dealing with struggles of her own and has yet to find the consistency required to become one of the WTA Tour’s top players. The 2021 US Open champion also has decent service numbers and looked almost unplayable on her serve in her second-round match.
Whether she can translate that against a higher-ranked opponent remains to be seen. The PFSN Simulator gives Anisimova an 80% chance of winning this one, and we believe that her ability to win the big points will give her the edge in this one.
Pick: Anisimova to win in straight sets.
