Raducanu Relishing Role Play Winning IW Return

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, March 6, 2026
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

INDIAN WELLS—All the world’s a stage.

Emma Raducanu starred on the major stage winning the 2021 US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier. 

These days, Raducanu relishes role player status.

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 of her off-court pursuits: pretending she’s someone else and concocting character back stories.

“I’m Ella quite a lot, which is quite similar,” Raducanu said of the tales she tells coffee baristas and people she meets who don’t know her as a world-famous Grand Slam champion. “I traveled to America to visit my friend on a gap year—I’m still on a gap year I’m like 23 years old. Still on a gap year visiting my friend and working at a summer camp.”

Today, Raducanu reconnected with her true tennis self before a supportive crowd on Stadium 4.

Wearing a pale, blue Uniqlo dress in her first match since parting with Nike apparel, Raducanu was calling the shots. Taking the ball early and redirecting down the lines at times—especially when returning serve from the ad side of the court—Raducanu reeled off eight of the first 10 games. 

“I think I played great. I came off the court and I was really pleased with everything on my game,” Raducanu said. “I think I played well overall.

“I think I served well, I returned well and was really solid off the back. Alexandra is a tricky opponent—she’s played three matches already on these courts. She plays a really fast game style where she goes for everything. I think I weathered the storms really well and dealt with her pace and then played my game.”

Tennis Channel analyst Mark Petchey, who worked with Raducanu as coach last spring and summer, is back in her corner for Indian Wells. 

Working with Petchey, Raducanu posted some of her best results in years during the 2025 season. Petchey had agreed to work with Raducanu through the end of the grass-court season, but could not commit to coaching her full time because of his television commentary obligations. Raducanu posted a 28-21 record in 2025 breaking serve 38 percent over the course of those 49 matches. 

Splitting with Francisco Roig—her ninth coach—after the Australian Open this year, Transylvania Open runner-up Raducanu said she’s pleased with her Palm Springs practices and aiming to play more proactive tennis.

“Preparing for Indian Wells the last seven days I was here, I was practicing in a way I enjoyed,” Raducanu said. “I was seeing progress, moving in a good way, feeling better and trying to unlock that game style I enjoy playing and enjoy feeling. So that was really helpful. I felt prepared and I felt ready to fight again and today was a great result.”