Amanda Anisimova Makes Her Feelings Known After Finally Dethroning Jessica Pegula in an Exhibition Match

Amanda Anisimova defeated Jessica Pegula in the Miami Invitational, an exhibition event in Florida.

Amanda Anisimova Makes Her Feelings Known After Finally Dethroning Jessica Pegula in an Exhibition Match

Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova (via X/Amanda Anisimova)

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Amanda Anisimova reacted to her win over fellow compatriot Jessica Pegula at the Miami Invitational, an exhibition event. The two players have faced each other just three times on tour, with Pegula winning all of their previous match-ups. But Anisimova finally defeated the former World No.3 on the court in an exhibition.

The last time Anisimova and Pegula met on the court was at the 2024 Canadian Open final, where the latter defeated the former to claim the title. Should they have met this season, Anisimova would have gotten a chance to earn her first tour-level victory as she has been in great form throughout the year.

Anisimova, Pegula, Carlos Alcaraz, and Joao Fonseca participated in the Miami Invitational, which took place on Monday (December 8) at the LoanDepot Park. Both WTA stars faced off in a singles match at the exhibition event, with Anisimova winning 6-2, 7-5 against Pegula.

Alcaraz and Fonseca competed in the men’s singles, with the former winning the clash after losing to Frances Tiafoe in the A Racquet at The Rock event in New Jersey. Alcaraz will take a break from participating in exhibition tournaments but will be back next year to take on Jannik Sinner in Seoul, South Korea.

Nonetheless, during the post-match on-court interview, Anisimova expressed that it felt like it had taken nearly ten years to finally beat Pegula, even if it was an exhibition event. The US Open runner-up then described Pegula as an incredible player, expressing that it has always been tough to face her:

I feel like it’s taken me 10 years. So it’s really nice to be standing here today. I mean, Jess is an incredible player, and it’s always tough playing against her, even at the exhibitions. We played in New Jersey last night. I don’t know if you guys got a chance to catch that, and we had another great match today. So it’s always a lot of fun. I love playing here in Miami, so I mean maybe because of that, and I had like my home crowd here.

Anisimova won two titles this season, but her best performances were in the Grand Slams. She reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, and also won the Qatar Open and the China Open. On the other hand, Pegula concluded the year with three titles and finished as runner-up at the Miami Open, Wuhan Open, and Adelaide International.

Amanda Anisimova to open her 2026 campaign at the Brisbane International

Amanda Anisimova will be aiming to continue with her good form on the court next season. She’s scheduled to begin her 2026 campaign at the Brisbane International, which will take place from January 4 to January 11 in Queensland, Australia. Anisimova will compete with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, WTA Finals winner Elena Rybakina, and Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

Amanda Anisimova US Open 2025 final
Amanda Anisimova (image via Yuki Iwamura)

Anisimova didn’t compete in Brisbane in 2025 as she opted to feature at the Auckland Classics, which means she will get extra points for doing well at the WTA 500 tournament. She revealed to WTA after announcing her participation in Brisbane that she’s looking forward to beginning the year with the right momentum:

I love playing in Australia and I’m really looking forward to starting my 2026 season in Brisbane. It’s the perfect setting for me to build some momentum ahead of the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula will kick off her 2026 season at the Adelaide International, where she finished as runner-up in 2025. The tournament will begin on January 12 and end on the 17th, just one day before the Australian Open. The American star will be looking to set the pace for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Also Read: Jannik Sinner Lacks These Qualities That Compatriot Fabio Fognini Has: “It’s Difficult to Compare Us”