"I’m thinking about how I can get that extra edge and improve as an athlete" - Anisimova looking to kick on from incredible 2025 breakout campaign

Amanda Anisimova is looking to continue the momentum from the excellent 2025 season into 2026, not looking to reminisce on the past as she strives for new heights in tennis, with the first target winning the Australian Open.

The first Grand Slam of the year is set to kick off on January 18, with the world number four taking on Simona Waltert a day later in her opening round match. She comes into the event after her Brisbane International campaign was halted early with a surprise defeat to an inform Marta Kostyuk.

In her press conference before the tournament, she could not contain her excitement for a return to Melbourne Park. "I’m super excited to be back. It’s been going really well," she commented. "I played in Brisbane and then came straight here, and I’ve just been training a lot. Yeah, I’m just super excited to be here."

Two Grand Slam finals, two WTA 1000 titles and debuting in the top four in the world summed up a simply exceptional year for the American. She will now look to kick on and progress even further up the pecking order.

"I’m coming off a great year, so there’s a lot of confidence," she admitted. "I had a lot of great experiences last year — I played a lot of matches and learned a lot about myself and about the things I want to improve."

It is now all about continuing her rise in tennis. "Going into this year, I’m thinking about how I can get that extra edge and improve as an athlete. There are expectations, but I use them as motivation. I’m just excited and hopefully I can do even more this year and push myself harder."

Anisimova enjoyed her time away from the court. She last played in 2025 at the WTA Finals in November, along with a couple of exhibition events in December. She was glad to have a period of rest. "I feel like everyone always says we have such a short break, such a short offseason," she stated. "I don’t think we want to be playing all year round. It’s also nice to get that bit of a break and use that time to train."

While it was short, she utilised her time efficiently. "A lot of people asked me how my offseason or preseason went, and I was like, yeah, it was short, but it was good. I was able to make it really productive. It’s also healthy to have a chunk of time where you can just be at home and relax a bit. The year is really long, and the most important thing is staying healthy."

After managing last season well, it was not a case of catching her breath from an overwhelming 2025, but a chance to continue from where she left off. "I wouldn’t say it was exhausting because I made sure to take breaks when I needed them and skip certain weeks if I needed a mental or physical reset, which is really important. I was able to prioritise that last year, and I think I had a really good balance," she said.

"The preseason felt short because the year before last, I got injured in one of my last tournaments and finished around mid-October, so I was home for a really long time. This offseason felt very different — I was only home for about a month. I tried to be very intentional with what I wanted to work on during the four or five weeks I had and how to get the most out of the training. I didn’t take that time at home for granted. Every day, I really tried to appreciate it because it was pretty short."

The One Point Slam was a huge success. Amateur Jordan Smith took home the $1 million prize pot after an enthralling competition which included a lot of professional, including Anisimova who lost to Smith enroute to his incredible victory.

"The One Point Slam was so much fun. I absolutely loved it, and I would want to do it at every single Grand Slam," she exclaimed. "It was funny because we were all equally very nervous. We were talking about how nervous we were, mostly because we didn’t want to miss the first shot — that would have been so embarrassing."

But it was not just the tennis that was fun, it was having a laugh with her fellow tennis comrades. "But at the same time, it was just so much fun to laugh with each other ahead of a big two weeks. I loved the event and how it turned out. The odds were so low for something like that to happen, and to see them in the final was such a great story. That’s what I love about tennis — the unexpected can happen when you least expect it. We all stayed up late in the lobby watching, so it was a lot of fun."

Anisimova's last two Grand Slam appearances ended in final defeats. The first came at Wimbledon where she toppled the world number one Aryna Sabalenka to set up a showdown with Iga Swiatek in a maiden major final. However, she failed to get a game in a humiliating result.

She showed her resilient mentality to reach the US Open final straight after, but again was on the losing side, this time to Sabalenka. She traverses to Melbourne in the hope that she can make it third time lucky, with her previous experience possibly coming in key.

"I think it definitely helps if I make it deep into the tournament, having had those experiences and learning from being in those positions for the first time. The second time around is always a little easier, or at least I know what to expect because I’ve been there before. At the same time, it’s a new Grand Slam. I’m really taking it one match at a time. Everyone here is going to be very difficult to face, but I’m really looking forward to it," she concluded.