Amanda Anisimova is plenty of fans’ picks to win her first Grand Slam title in 2026.
The American reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025, but lost to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.
Anisimova lost in the Australian Open quarter-finals to her compatriot Jessica Pegula in Melbourne, but she still sits at world number four in the WTA Tour rankings.
Ahead of what could be a very successful season for the American, the star has revealed her favourite-ever female tennis star.
Amanda Anisimova explains why she loves Serena Williams so much
During the WTA Tour’s Behind the Curtain, Anisimova named Serena Williams as her favourite WTA tennis player ever.
“Like current or it could be anybody? I would say the WTA player I admire the most is Serena Williams,” she said.
“Obviously, she’s a legend and has achieved more than anybody in this sport. And I love the fact that she always did things her way.”
Will Amanda Anisimova win a Grand Slam title in 2026?
Williams paved the way for the current crop of talented American stars currently occupying the top of the WTA Tour rankings.
For a long time, Williams was competing at the top of the sport as one of the very few American players able to win a Grand Slam.
Now, however, the likes of Coco Gauff, Pegula, Anisimova, and Madison Keys all sit inside the top 20 of the rankings.
With Iva Jovic looking set to become another American champion, it’s a very exciting time for tennis in the nation.
Amanda Anisimova and Serena Williams sole meeting on the WTA Tour
There was only a brief crossover when both Williams and Anisimova were playing at the top of the WTA Tour, but they did manage to play each other once.
The two Americans met in the semi-finals of the ASB Classic in 2020, when Williams was the top seed and Anisimova was the third.
If Serena Williams isn’t the greatest tennis player of all time, then who is and why?
Williams, en route to lifting her last-ever WTA title, dispatched Anisimova in straight sets with a dominant 6-1 6-1 scoreline.
Williams defeated another American in the final, Pegula, to become the first player in the Open Era to win singles titles across four decades.
The win in Auckland was Williams’ 73rd career title and her first since giving birth to her daughter.
