Amanda Anisimova came close to winning her first Grand Slam in 2025…
The American WTA star qualified for her first two major finals, coming up short at Wimbledon and the US Open.
When she returns to action at the Australian Open in January, Anisimova will no doubt hope to reach her third consecutive Grand Slam final.
Whether she can win the title is another story, however, as she will face a tough test from the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?
Weighing in with his thoughts, multiple Grand Slam winner Todd Woodbridge assessed Anisimova’s chances of winning the Australian Open.
Todd Woodbridge believes Amanda Anisimova can win the Australian Open
Appearing as a guest on the latest episode of ‘The Tennis‘, Woodbridge said this when asked about Anisimova’s chances of winning in Melbourne.
“That’s definitely on the cards,” he said.
Woodbridge was also asked who he thought deserved to win the 2025 WTA ‘Most improved player’ award.
Who was the most improved player on the WTA Tour in 2025?
“I’ve got to go with Anisimova, she needs a category,” he said.
“She needs to win something.
2025 WTA ‘Most improved’ nominees
| Nominee | 2024 year-end ranking | 2025 year-end ranking | Ranking jump | 2025 Titles | 2025 Grand Slam highlights |
| Amanda Anisimova | 36 | 4 | 32 | 2 | F – Wimbledon/US Open |
| Mirra Andreeva | 16 | 9 | 7 | 2 | QF – French Open/Wimbledon |
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | 28 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 4R – French Open/Wimbledon/US Open |
| Clara Tauson | 52 | 12 | 30 | 1 | 4R – Wimbledon |
| Linda Noskova | 26 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 4R – Wimbledon |
“[Lost in the] semis of the French Open to Ash Barty, and her life changed dramatically off the court, and that’s really rough.
“Finds a way to get back to being a fantastic player again, gets out there. Wimbledon, amazing tournament, final, one that you’ll never want to remember for her.
- 2025 Wimbledon F – Iga Swiatek defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0
“The mental effort to come back and play so well at the US Open, I don’t think anyone can appreciate that.
- 2025 US Open F – Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6
“That could’ve been career-ending, that Wimbledon final.
“It was for Eugenie Bouchard; she never got near the heights again.
“So Anisimova, her whole journey to this point, she deserves any award you can give her.”
Putting in the work, Anisimova established herself as one of the best players in women’s tennis this year.
She finished the year ranked inside the WTA top 10 and was one of just three players to win multiple WTA 1000 titles.
2025 WTA year-end top 10
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 10,870 |
| 2 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 8,395 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | USA | 6,763 |
| 4 | Amanda Anisimova | USA | 6,287 |
| 5 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 5,850 |
| 6 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 5,583 |
| 7 | Madison Keys | USA | 4,335 |
| 8 | Jasmine Paolini | Italy | 4,325 |
| 9 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 4,319 |
| 10 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Russia | 3,375 |
2025 WTA 1000 winners
| WTA 1000 | Surface | Winner | Runner-up |
| Qatar Open | Hard | Amanda Anisimova | Jelena Ostapenko |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | Hard | Mirra Andreeva | Clara Tauson |
| Indian Wells | Hard | Mirra Andreeva (2) | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Miami Open | Hard | Aryna Sabalenka | Jessica Pegula |
| Madrid Open | Clay | Aryna Sabalenka (2) | Coco Gauff |
| Italian Open | Clay | Jasmine Paolini | Coco Gauff |
| Canadian Open | Hard | Victoria Mboko | Naomi Osaka |
| Cincinnati Open | Hard | Iga Swiatek | Jasmine Paolini |
| China Open | Hard | Amanda Anisimova (2) | Linda Noskova |
| Wuhan Open | Hard | Coco Gauff | Jessica Pegula |
She’ll no doubt look to make another step forward in 2026, and what better place to start than at the Australian Open?
But how well did Anisimova perform at the Australian Open on her last visit down under?
Amanda Anisimova lost in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open
Before her 2025 season took off, Anisimova travelled to Melbourne without a seed next to her name.
In round one, Anisimova met Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle, the world number 89.
Picking up the win in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, Anisimova advanced to the second round, where she met the 2021 US Open champion, Emma Raducanu.
Unfortunately for Anisimova, it was there that her run came to an end, as she lost to the Brit, 3-6, 5-7.
Only time will tell if she can make a deeper run in 2026, but on current form, you wouldn’t want to bet against her!
The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 18.
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