Britain’s Emma Raducanu was defeated in straight sets by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in her first-round match at Indian Wells on Thursday.
It was Raducanu’s first appearance since she was the target of “fixated behaviour” from a man during the Dubai Championships in February, with the man subsequently banned from all future WTA events “pending a threat assessment” and given a restraining order.
Having admitted prior to the event that she was unsure if she would complete at Indian Wells, Raducanu lost 3-6 2-6 to Uchijima as the pair battled through strong winds in the desert but the Brit ultimately was unable to put up a fight against her in-form opponent.
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It is also the first time she teamed up with new coach Vladimir Platenik, after Nick Cavaday stood down for health reasons following the Australian Open, where Raducanu was heavily beaten by five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
However, Raducanu was unable to master the hot and windy conditions of the desert with Uchijima claiming four games in a row to take the first set 6-3.
The second set followed a similar tale, and after Raducanu was broken in the first game she was unable to gather momentum in her favour or challenge Uchijima’s serve amid a lot of unforced errors.
Uchijima held her serve and won crucial points to inch slowly towards victory before ending the match with a hold to love for a 6-3 6-2 victory.
Uchijima will face USA’s Coco Gauff in the next round, while Raducanu heads to prepare for the Miami Open.
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Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.
Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.
Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports, you can follow @SkySportsNews on X to get the latest updates and you can also now follow Sky Sports’ WhatsApp channel.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
