Katerina Siniakova, the world number one in women's doubles, advanced to the second round of the Australian Open singles draw with a dominant victory. The Czech player faces fourth seed Amanda Anisimova on Thursday, expressing optimism despite her underdog status. Siniakova highlighted her focus on enjoying the opportunity without pressure.
Katerina Siniakova, a 29-year-old specialist in doubles with ten Grand Slam titles, is preparing for a rare deep run in singles at the 2025 Australian Open. In her 13th consecutive appearance at the tournament, she secured a straightforward 6-1, 6-2 win over Hungary's Panna Udvardy in the first round, conceding just two break points. This marks one of the most one-sided victories in the women's draw so far.
Siniakova has long championed playing both singles and doubles at Grand Slams, a strategy that has paid off in doubles where she has won three Australian Open titles in the past four years—twice with compatriot Barbora Krejčíková and once this year with American partner Taylor Townsend. Townsend, who entered the singles main draw as a lucky loser after failing qualifying, lost in three sets to fellow American Hailey Baptiste on Sunday. Speaking to Flashscore in Melbourne on Tuesday, Siniakova downplayed the impact on their doubles campaign: "I haven't spoken about her loss... It doesn't matter how she plays in singles."
The upcoming second-round clash with fourth seed Amanda Anisimova represents uncharted territory for Siniakova, who has never advanced beyond this stage in Melbourne singles. Her last victory over a top-10 player in singles came in February 2024, a 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Coco Gauff. Reflecting on the draw, Siniakova said, "I didn't really think about it. I'm just happy to be through. I have had some tough losses here so I see a big opportunity."
Praising her opponent, she added, "She's an amazing player. What a year last year was for her. She's a big hitter so it's definitely going to be a fast game. I have nothing to lose. I'll just try to show my best tennis." Siniakova also expressed pride in the rising tide of Czech talent: "I'm so proud to be Czech."
Their preparation remains flexible, with the pair prioritizing individual singles focus before uniting for doubles warm-ups. This mindset underscores Siniakova's cautious yet excited approach to potentially reaching the third round for the first time.
