Rakhimova powers past Andreescu, sets up Indian Wells clash with Gauff

Former World No. 4 Bianca Andreescu's return to the win column on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz will continue to wait. 

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The 2019 Indian Wells champion and wildcard for this edition showcased bits of her former self in the opening set vs. Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova, but a strong bounce back and nagging Andreescu blister injury allowed the qualifier to prevail 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-1 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.

What does this result mean?

Since suffering a brutal ankle injury at the near end of her first-round win over Barbora Krejcikova at Montreal last summer, Andreescu has yet to notch a tour-level win in seven months. She's slowly building her way back into form, including winning ITF W35 and W75 titles in Bradenton and Vero Beach, Florida to begin 2026.

Andreescu played her first WTA Tour match of 2026 last week in Austin as a wildcard, falling to Dalma Galfi 3-6, 7-5, 4-6. This was also her first career match against Rakhimova, and just her fourth overall appearance at the BNP Paribas Open. 

How did the match play out for Rakhimova?

First set: After an initial Rakhimova hold, Andreescu won three consecutive games and notched the match's first break for a 3-1 advantage. Similarly, the Uzbek went on a three-game run of her own, and eventually the first set headed to a tiebreak.

This was Rakhimova's tiebreak to lose, leading 6-3 with three set points. Andreescu crawled back -- not without the help of a Rakhimova missed swinging volley -- and the Canadian won five straight points and the set in 66 minutes. Andreescu had 15 winners, including six of her total 12 aces in the opening set.

Second set: Rakhimova responded as dominant as one could, needing just half the time of the first set -- 33 minutes -- to force a third. She didn't drop a game in the set for the first time in a main draw tour-level match since she defeated Sara Bejlek in the first round of the 2023 French Open. She also scored three of her seven break points in the second set.

"I was up 6-3, we saw that," Rakhimova said in her on-court interview. "Tennis happens, it happens. I needed to come back stronger and to keep doing my thing."

Arguably, the most consequential moment of the match came after the set when Andreescu took a medical timeout for apparent blisters on her left toe and foot.

Third set: The effect of the nagging blisters were immediate. Andreescu had a noticeable limp throughout the set when walking between points and her movement wasn't as agile as she displayed initially in the first set. Fans tried to encourage Andreescu on midway, but Rakhimova took advantage to win 11 of the final 12 games to advance to the second round.

What's next?

Rakhimova will face current World No. 4 Coco Gauff, who received a bye into the second round. They've only played twice, but both of those encounters have been recent -- both Gauff straight-set victories at the 2026 Australian Open and 2025 China Open. 

Gauff will make her first appearance since reaching the semifinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

"I'm so ready, no pressure -- just enjoy tennis and of course myself," Rakhimova added on the matchup.