Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Iva Jovic: America's next generation is suddenly much harder to predict

Tennis fans are always looking for and predicting the next top talents in the sport. When looking at American tennis on the WTA Tour, it is not so simple. Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Iva Jovic are all among the players threatening to rule the tennis landscape in the coming years, but in completely different stages of their careers.

You have the established Grand Slam champion in Gauff, who has already barged herself into the elite and has numerous big titles under her belt. Anisimova was a teenage prodigy but had to relish her potential the hard way. Jovic is the least experienced out of the three, but there is the sense that after a breakthrough 2026 campaign, she could rise to the very top in the near future.

Bursting on the scene as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon, Gauff's victory over Venus Williams set the precedence for what has already been an unbelievable career. Still only 22, there is a lot more to achieve.

At 18, she reached the Roland Garros final in an incredible run in the French capital but could only manage four games against Iga Swiatek. Just over a year, she stormed to glory on home soil at the US Open, immortalising herself among tennis fans before even reaching her twenties. She doubled her Grand Slam count in Paris, redeeming herself last year against Aryna Sabalenka. On top of that, she has collected four WTA 1000 titles and an overall 12 WTA titles. This includes winning the WTA Finals champion back in 2024.

Gauff is an established star on the WTA Tour. Peaking at World No.2 in June 2024. After failing to defend her Roland Garros title earlier this year, she dropped down to sixth in the world, the lowest in three years. This showcases the immense consistency from a very young age. Now back up to fourth thanks to some great recent form, there are still a few things in the Gauff game that need to be ironed out.

One of the best returners on the WTA Tour, her movement and defensive abilities on court are up there with the best, with a weapon of a backhand used to power past her opponent. Troubles with her forehand and serve have been well-documented, but there have been huge improvements in recent times, especially with her serve, with Gavin MacMillan coming in a huge boost despite the double fault counter still being a bit higher than she would want. When not at her best, she still has a knack for escaping from the trickiest spots, usually put there by herself, and coming out on top. Her mentality is incredible for her age. A three-set specialist, pressure is not something that she shies away from.

A few years before Gauff made her first foray onto the big stage, a 17-year-old Anisimova reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros. The first player born in the 21st century to complete this task, her future seemed to be among the best. That was the case, but it was not smooth sailing.

She would not kick on from this incredible run. This led to 2023, when she decided to take a break from the sport for the rest of the year, citing burnout and mental health concerns. A few years earlier, her father passed away from a heart attack. So much to overcome away from the court, but eventually her potential would be unlocked in 2025. Her title charge at the Qatar Open was unexpected, with her not even being seeded, but it was a glimpse into what she would produce. A brace of Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and US Open both ended in defeats. Her SW19 loss to Swiatek while not even winning a game was a cruel way to depart, but she reacted on home soil, getting her revenge against the Pole before Sabalenka got the better of her in the final.

Anisimova was touted for a brilliant 2026 campaign. Grand Slam success was touted after a positive WTA Finals debut a couple of months prior. She climbed to a career high of third in the world Down Under, but injuries and inconsistent form have dented her progress.

She is an aggressive baseline player who can hammer a ball with some force. Her forehand and backhand are equally as effective while striking the ball early with huge amounts of power, leaving her rival scrambling at the back of the court. Her serve is inconsistent, but when on point, it is very tough to return. This game style can be so effective when got right and has lent to her recent success.

When talking about the next generation of American talent, Gauff was the main one for so long before Anisimova finally relished her teenage prodigy status later than expected. That tag has been handed down to a certain Jovic who has made a huge impression in her first couple of years competing among the best.

Her Guadalajara Open title run in 2025 at the age of 17 was a sign of things to come. People started paying attention to this talented youngster who had a very high potential from a flourishing youth career but was now set to prove her worth on the big stage. The Australian Open was a huge breakthrough. Storming all the way to the quarter-finals again put her name out there with some mesmeric displays. Sabalenka halted her run, but the maturity and composure showcased were not normal for someone her age. At Grand Slam and WTA 1000 level, she would not replicate that last-eight run in Melbourne but there was just one tournament where she failed to get a win on the board. Her most recent accomplishment came again in Mexico as she defended her title without even dropping a set.

This secured her a career high of 13th. Her rise has felt steady over the last year or so, but to already be a fixed figure in the top 20 in the world is some stat. What is now needed is some deeper runs in the big tournaments and she will surely be in contention for breaking into the top 10 and even the top five in the future.

Jovic's all-round game is very impressive. An aggressive all-court baseliner with a big forehand and a clinical backhand. She is happy to be drawn into rallies, building the point up and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Not the most powerful player, with her serve still in need of improvement, but the main thing to remember is that she is still so young. There is no rush to iron out these details, and if she does, then there is a real possibility that she will be one of the best players in the world.

It is unique that all three players have so far enjoyed very different career paths and are at different stages in their tennis careers.

After all her success, in recent times Gauff is starting to find her best form. Her patchy form throughout the last 12 months has been replaced by a strong run of results. A brace of Grand Slam semi-finals, a Canadian Open last-four and Cincinnati Open title shows that she is on the right path. Maybe slightly off the likes of Rybakina and Sabalenka, but out of these three she is and has proven to be the likeliest to challenge and win Grand Slam titles. There is nothing stopping her from powering to that next level, ironing out certain points in her game to make her an unstoppable force.

In contrast to this, 2026 has been utterly miserable for Anisimova. Her success last year has come off her record with a drop in the rankings having been seen now out of the top 10. A reoccurring wrist injury that saw her miss much of the clay swing has returned in force. Her China Open title defence is not on the cards as she attempts to work her way back. What she needs is a consistent run of matches and wins to get her back to the prior levels she was recently at. However, her inability to keep fit could be costly. Availability is the best ability, and while not in her hands, this needs to get sorted sooner rather than later.

Jovic does not have the pressure of the other more established and experienced rivals. At only 18, the sky is the limit with her progress to this stage remarkable. Already with two WTA 500 titles and a Grand Slam quarter-final under her belt, the next step is to continue developing these results. Her game is obviously not at the level of Gauff and Anisimova, but with time she could even surpass them in ability. So strong mentally at her tender age, Jovic in the future could be remarked as a generational talent. With this hype will come the inevitable pressure, and it is yet to be seen how she fares.

Tennis is such an unpredictable sport, but even then, trying to predict where these trio of players will end up. All of them are in different periods of their development, it is not fair to compare them as of yet, but the hierarchy will be chopped and changed.

Gauff’s consistency may be a problem, but even when not at best she still wins tennis matches. At her glittering best, very few can come close to her. If she can represent that level on a more regular basis, then she will be the face of American tennis.

You cannot rule out Anisimova after that incredible burst in 2025. Two Grand Slam finals and the China Open title prove her immense class. Her resurgence as of late has put her back into the picture after rocky moments in her tennis career threatened to spell doom for her. There is a lot of anticipation in how she will compete in 2027 when she returns after calling off the rest of her 2026 campaign.

Jovic is the new kid on the block. One with a lot of excitement and hype around her while the pressure of breaking into the elite is hushed slightly at this point due to her still being so young. She has gone from a promising teenager to a serious presence near the top of the rankings in just a of months.

American tennis is not searching for its future No.1. Three young tennis players all at different stages of their careers after contrasting rises, all with the same motive. It is no longer straightforward and harder to predict which one of these glittering players will strike next.