Amanda Anisimova Discusses Her Desire to Win Her Maiden Grand Slam this Year

Amanda Anisimova will kick off her Dubai Tennis Championships campaign against Barbora Krejcikova.

Amanda Anisimova Discusses Her Desire to Win Her Maiden Grand Slam this Year

Amanda Anisimova (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Amanda Anisimova has come close to winning the Grand Slam on two occasions on tour, all coming last year. The American star reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last year before losing to fellow compatriot Jessica Pegula at the Rod Laver Arena, despite being one of the favorites to win the event.

Anisimova enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, in which she was the only women’s player apart from Aryna Sabalenka to win two WTA 1000 titles. Also, she reached her maiden Grand Slam final at the Wimbledon Championship, where she faced Iga Swiatek, who breezed past the former World No.4 without losing a game.

The 24-year-old then produced another run in New York just two months later. She earned her revenge against Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the US Open before overcoming Naomi Osaka in the last four. She faced World No.1 Sabalenka in the final but fell to the Belarusian star in straight sets, losing her second consecutive major final.

However, the run in the two Grand Slams was enough to seal her place in the WTA Finals, where she reached the semi-finals before losing to Sabalenka in three sets. The American star is yet to win a tournament this season, having competed at the Brisbane International, Australian Open, and Doha Open.

At the Doha Open, she failed to defend her WTA 1000 title as she retired from her second-round match. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she’s seeking redemption, but ultimately has her mind fixed on winning her first Slam on tour. She revealed during her press conference in Dubai that she has the capacity to win a major title this year:

I mean, I’d say that’s a common goal I think we all share, is to win a Grand Slam. I’m doing everything I can in my capacity to try and get there, to try and achieve my goals. But I’d say it’s obviously a process. You have to really try to tie in all the things together. I feel like I’m really trying to figure out everything I need to do to give myself the best possible chance. But I think I’m more focused on just the overall process of getting there instead of the outcome.

The next Grand Slam on tour is the French Open, which kicks off on May 24 at Roland Garros. Anisimova’s best run at Roland Garros came in 2019, when she defeated former World No.1 Simona Halep in straight sets to reach the semi-finals. She was just 17 years old, but she didn’t final as she lost to Ashleigh Barty in the last four.

Amanda Anisimova reflects on her retirement in the second round of the Doha Open

Amanda Anisimova was among the favorites to win the Doha Open in Qatar last week. Unfortunately for her, she began to struggle physically in the second set and was ultimately forced to retire in the third against Karolina Pliskova. The American star lost 990 points for failing to defend her title, dropping from World No. 4 to No. 6.

Amanda Anisimova (2)
Amanda Anisimova (Image via X/Roland Garros)

Her drop to No.6 in the WTA ranking doesn’t mean too bad for her as she has a chance to get back in the top 5 in Dubai and during the Sunshine Doubles. Speaking during the aforementioned press conference, Anisimova noted that she felt she played at a high level before retiring in Doha:

I feel like the level was really high. I walked away from that match feeling really good about my game and everything. I feel like I actually improved on a lot of things I wanted to do after Australia. I feel like I did the things that I wanted to do in that match. Obviously, she played really well. It’s really good to see her playing at such a high level after such a long break with injuries. Yeah, really happy for her.

Anisimova is defending just 10 points at the Dubai Tennis Championships as she lost to McCartney Kessler in the opening round last year. This means she can gain more than half of the points she lost in Doha, should she have a good run in Dubai. However, he will face 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.

Also Read: Iva Jovic Hopes to Follow in Novak Djokovic’s Footsteps by Winning the Dubai Tennis Championships