American tennis player Amanda Anisimova expressed her determination to win her maiden Grand Slam title during a press conference ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships. She reflected on near-misses in major tournaments last year and her recent retirement in Doha. Anisimova faces Barbora Krejcikova in her opening match.
Amanda Anisimova, a 24-year-old American ranked No. 6 in the WTA, is preparing for the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she will face 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round. Last year marked a strong resurgence for Anisimova, who reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before losing to Jessica Pegula. She advanced to her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, falling to Iga Swiatek in straight sets, and then made the US Open final, where she defeated Swiatek in the quarter-finals and Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals but lost to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Anisimova was the only women's player besides Sabalenka to claim two WTA 1000 titles in 2025. Her performances secured a spot in the WTA Finals, where she reached the semi-finals before another defeat to Sabalenka in three sets. This season, however, has started slowly; she has yet to win a tournament after participating in the Brisbane International, Australian Open, and Doha Open.
In Doha, Anisimova retired during her second-round match against Karolina Pliskova, costing her 990 ranking points and dropping her from No. 4 to No. 6. Reflecting on that match, she said, "I feel like the level was really high. I walked away from that match feeling really good about my game and everything."
During her Dubai press conference, Anisimova discussed her Grand Slam aspirations: "I mean, I’d say that’s a common goal I think we all share, is to win a Grand Slam. I’m doing everything I can in my capacity to try and get there... I feel like I’m really trying to figure out everything I need to do to give myself the best possible chance."
She is defending just 10 points in Dubai after a first-round loss to McCartney Kessler last year, offering a chance to recover some ground. Anisimova's best French Open result remains her 2019 semi-final run at age 17, where she beat Simona Halep but lost to Ashleigh Barty.