Mertens and Bucsa to meet in Indian Wells 2nd round

The two players will square off for the 5th time in their careers on Saturday in the BNP Paribas Open

Mar. 7, 2026 at 8:22am

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Elise Mertens and Cristina Bucsa will face off in the 2nd round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Saturday. The two players have met four times previously, with Mertens holding a 2-2 head-to-head record against Bucsa on hard courts. Mertens, ranked 21st, is the favorite to win the match according to the odds, but Bucsa, ranked 31st, is coming off a title win in Merida and will look to pull off the upset.

Why it matters

This matchup between two top-30 players in the 2nd round of a prestigious WTA 1000 event like Indian Wells will be an intriguing one, as both players will be looking to make a deep run in the tournament and gain valuable ranking points and prize money.

The details

Mertens has a 9-4 record so far in 2026, including a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open. Bucsa, meanwhile, comes in with a 7-5 record and is fresh off winning the title in Merida. In their previous four meetings, Mertens and Bucsa have split the matches 2-2, with Mertens winning their most recent encounter 7-6(5), 6-3 in the 1st round in Osaka in 2025.

  • The match is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 5:00 pm local time.

The players

Elise Mertens

A 21st-ranked Belgian player who has reached a career-high ranking of 12th and has an overall record of 492-284, including a 289-153 mark on hard courts.

Cristina Bucsa

A 31st-ranked Spanish player who recently won the title in Merida and is making her second appearance in the 2nd round of the Indian Wells tournament.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The winner of this match will advance to the 3rd round of the BNP Paribas Open, where they will face the winner of the match between Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

The takeaway

This matchup between two top-30 players in the 2nd round of a prestigious WTA 1000 event like Indian Wells will be an intriguing one, as both players will be looking to make a deep run in the tournament and gain valuable ranking points and prize money.