Amanda Anisimova has enjoyed the best year of her career in 2025, despite walking away without a Grand Slam title.
However, having come so close in both Wimbledon and the US Open, the American superstar is certainly trending towards claiming that elusive title.
It would be unwise to bet against her doing so at the Australian Open, such is her record on hard courts as well.
She absolutely hammers the ball, and in the hot, humid conditions, she might be able to hit her opponents into submission.
Which American man and woman do you think will go furthest at the Australian Open?
Amanda Anisimova will certainly be able to lean on the experience she has gained across a momentous recent campaign, filled with great highs but crushing lows.
Amanda Anisimova rates her 2025 season
Reflecting on that season, she told Sports Illustrated: “I’m so happy with my year. Like, it’s been such a great year, and I think that I did more than I expected, for sure. I achieved things that I’ve always dreamt about. But then I also feel like there’s so much more room for improvement and a lot of big goals I’m still chasing for next year.
“And I think I can just take a lot of lessons, just a lot of takeaways from this year in terms of where I’ve grown as a player, and also what I need to do better next year. And I think a lot of the experiences I had this year are really beneficial for me going into next year.”
Then asked what she was most proud of about her 2025, which included two Grand Slam finals, Anisimova added: “I think my consistency, because I feel like I started the year off well.
“In February, I already won my first [Masters] 1000 and then did well in the middle of the year, and then also was able to win another [Masters] 1000 at the end of the year. And that was so huge for me, because in the past, that’s something I really struggled with—backing those results and showing up and competing week after week, like bringing a really high level.
“That’s the biggest thing that you know I’ve done to grow as a player.”
Such was the quality of her season that Andy Roddick actually told Frances Tiafoe what he could learn from Anisimova.
Amanda Anisimova could win her first Grand Slam title in 2026
Having reached her first two major finals in the same year, on different surfaces too, Anisimova’s all-court quality has been truly emphasised.
Now, she needs to take that final step to actually claim the title.
At Wimbledon, the 24-year-old’s nerves quite clearly got the better of her, and in New York, she simply succumbed to the quality of Aryna Sabalenka.
Who will be the biggest disappointment at the 2026 Australian Open?
But she is getting closer.
There’s no reason why, with the thunderous hitting she possesses of both wings, that she can’t give herself a great chance of winning one of the four majors in 2026.
Melbourne marks a golden first opportunity.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
