As far as the 2025 season goes, the Americans truly made the most of it—especially Amanda Anisimova, who began the year ranked No. 36 and finished at No. 4. The 24-year-old reached two back-to-back major finals, first in London and then New York, and lifted two titles in Doha and Beijing. She’s now one of the most exciting players to watch. Yet, what caught Andy Roddick’s eye wasn’t just her tennis.

On his Served podcast, Roddick spoke about the tricky moment of the runner-up speech—the one no player really wants to make. He said it’s hard to find words after a loss, and while many give the usual scripted thanks, some players show rare “maturity” that earns respect despite the defeat.

“So, two things,” he said. “I don’t like that people have to do it. And also, you can win a lot of fans by doing it the right way, which is what I think Amanda did this year, right? I think if you take that moment, which is inherently dumb and unnecessary, and then actually outperform expectations and what any rational person would be able to come up with and do, I think you can get a lot of credit for that.

“So, I think she actually made lemonade in the post-match of that and showed real maturity. It wasn’t as if all gratitude was out the door, because it was a weirdly uncomfortable result and scoreline.”

Could it be true? Well, for the most part, yes. Looking back at her two major final appearances, Wimbledon was the most crushing. Anisimova fell to Iga Swiatek in a shocking straight-sets loss: 0-6, 0-6 in just 57 minutes. But that match meant more than the scoreline. It marked Amanda Anisimova’s huge step forward after her mental health break.

The American fought back tears as she thanked her opponent, the fans, and even apologized to them. Then she broke down talking about her mother, her biggest support since the tragic loss of her father in 2019 and throughout her eight-month sabbatical from tennis in 2023.

“I know I didn’t have enough today, but I’m going to keep putting in the work,” Amanda Anisimova said, wiping tears from her cheek. “I always believe in myself, so I hope to be back here again one day.”

The moment went viral for all the right reasons. But she turned the tables later that summer at the US Open. Amanda stunned Swiatek in the quarterfinals to set up a championship clash with World No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. She couldn’t take down the Belarusian, falling 6-3, 7-6 (3). Yet once again, her speech won the crowd.

“I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams. With finals, I have a lot of nerves, and it’s something I’m trying to work on, but I wish I played more aggressive. I feel like if I fought harder, maybe I would have given myself more of a chance,” Amanda Anisimova said after the final.

Moments like these, Roddick believes, are exactly what fans remember. And he might be right. After her incredible season, Amanda now commands an impressive following (456K fans on Instagram), ready to rally behind her in every big tournament.

Now the 2026 season begins, and Anisimova rides that wave of momentum. She enters with a new career-high ranking, inching closer to two-time Grand Slam champion, Coco Gauff.

Amanda Anisimova’s ranking to overtake Coco Gauff heading into 2026

The stars are heading in different directions for the start of the season, chasing early momentum before Melbourne. Sabalenka and Anisimova are both firing up for action at the WTA 500 Brisbane International, eyeing a winning start. Meanwhile, Swiatek and Gauff are representing their countries at the United Cup, which will shake things up in the rankings once the dust settles. Every point counts this early in the year, and the competition is fierce.

There’s little surprise at the very top. Aryna Sabalenka still sits comfortably at World No.1, holding a lead of nearly 2,000 points over Swiatek. The Belarusian looks secure for now, even though she has plenty of points to defend in the coming weeks. But it’s the battle right behind her that’s getting spicy, especially for Anisimova.

In the live rankings, Gauff stands at 6,763 points, while Anisimova trails close behind with 6,287. That’s just a 476-point difference, and one good week could flip their positions.

The shake-up comes down to last year’s numbers. Gauff is losing 500 ranking points from her United Cup run in 2025 and will need to defend them again. Anisimova, on the other hand, is stepping into Brisbane with almost no points to protect, giving her a clean shot at soaring higher.

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Going into the Australian Open will be a challenge. Last year, Amanda managed to reach just the second round, falling to Emma Raducanu, while Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Badosa.

With two Slam finals under her belt from last season, could Amanda Anisimova ride that wave all the way to her first major title? Drop your thoughts below.