Grand Slam champions no issue for Amanda Anisimova after conquering quartet of victors in 2025

Women's tennis has seen a variety of stars come out on top in major events this year. Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have all tased success in Grand Slam events this year. However, they also share something else in common: coming unstuck against the new kid on the block Amanda Anisimova, who is looking to disrupt their dominance at the top.

After entering the WTA as a touted star, things did not work the way Anisimova would have hoped for at first. Stress of competing, burnout and losing her father saw her progress halt to a stop. After a break from the sport, she came back with a bang. After reaching her first WTA 1000 final in Canada a few months before, she shocked the world by defeating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets to clinch the Qatar Open. She became the first unseeded player since 2019 to win an event of this calibre, rising from world number 41 to inside the top 20.

From then on, she has not only competed in the biggest matches in tennis but defeated the best players the game has to offer to her.

Ahead of Wimbledon, the American had a best performance in a Grand Slam back in 2019, where she reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros. Aside from a quarter-final appearance at SW19 back in 2022, barren results have seen her fall down the pecking order. However, she reversed that slide with a supreme set of results on grass.

The biggest coup of all of these was a three-set victory over Aryna Sabalenka. It was her first win over the number one ranked player, and highest ranking victory since defeating the Belarusian (third in the world) enroute to the 2024 Canadian Open final. Anisimova stole a march on Sabalenka in the first set, before a solitary break in the second was enough for Sabalenka to force a third set. She broke to love, looking to have command of this semi-final matchup before Anisimova won four games on the bounce to sail into an ominous lead. Sabalenka clinched one of the breaks back after the 24-year-old missed a match point, he she was able to get the job done the next time of asking on serve.

She had the chance to tick another big player off in the form of Swiatek in the final but was unable to even clinch a game as she was whitewashed by the rampant Pole. IN a heartbreaking turn of events, pundits and fans were on the edge of their seats awaiting to see what kind of reaction Anisimova would put up.

Turns out a very positive one, with her once again going on a deep run in a major tournament, this tim in the US Open. She faced off against Swiatek in the quarter-final stage, determined to right the wrongs of Wimbledon. After Swiatek broke in the first game of the first set, there were quiet murmurs of events repeating themselves from their previous encounter. Anisimova quickly hushed those doubts as she broke straight back before clinching the first set on the six-time Grand Slam champion's serve. The second set played out very similarly to the first. Swiatek crept ahead before Anisimova shut her down. She would then win the final three games of the match to get a first win over Swiatek. This story would once again turn to a missed opportunity for Anisimova as she was defeated by Sabalenka in the final at Flushing Meadows.

The next event Anisimova featured in was the China Open. Enroute, she defeated former Grand Slam finalists Karolina Muchova and Jasmine Paolini ahead of a semi-final showdown against Gauff. The Roland Garros champion has not had the best of it since that title but was still a huge threat. However, she was no match for the ruthless Anisimova, who recorded another top three win against the two-time Grand Slam champion, knocking out the 21-year-old to reach a second WTA 1000 final of the year. She would cap off the event with a three-set victory over Linda Noskova, cementing her place among the best.

As well as that, she had confirmed her place in the WTA Finals for the first time. Her second clash against Keys was under a lot of pressure after her opening match defeat to Elena Rybakina. She needed to get a win over the Australian Open champion to keep her fleeting hopes of qualification alive and did so in a comeback win. This is the final piece of the puzzle for Anisimova, who has now overcome every Grand Slam champion this year. Quite the achievement for someone who started 2025 as the world number 36.