When Amanda Anisimova steps onto the court, she transforms. Off it, the 23-year-old is calm, soaking in the cities she visits, but on the WTA Tour, she channels an all-or-nothing intensity. “Maybe I could compare it to rap because I get pretty serious on the court—sometimes a bit aggressive. I love Lil Wayne; I mostly listen to him before my matches,” she revealed. Her raw talent and punishing forehand have propelled her to back-to-back Slam finals and a dominant China Open title, dropping just three sets. And as the WTA Finals approach, analysts are buzzing over Anisimova, while American top seed Coco Gauff finds herself overlooked in the spotlight.

In a recent Tennis Channel segment, former WTA ace Victoria Duval made her pick for the standout American heading into the WTA Finals, and her choice turned heads. When asked to name her selection, Duval didn’t hesitate. “I think if it were to pick an American, I have to go with Anisimova. I think she has been playing such good tennis this year. Her mentality is amazing,” she began, her words carrying a tone of conviction, a reason that echoed across the studio.

Duval’s admiration of Amanda Anisimova didn’t stop there. “She’s been so strong, she’s been so consistent and her game hasn’t faltered, you know. She always had that level since she was younger but taking the mental health break and coming back, having a different outlook on tennis as well,” she continued. 

“She’s embracing challenges which is something we haven’t seen from her in the years past,” Duval added. “She’s embracing adversity, so I think my American pick would have to be Anisimova.” It was a ringing endorsement, one that reflected the growing belief that Anisimova’s evolution from prodigy to powerhouse is finally complete.

While Duval’s words stirred debate, one thing remains clear: the American flag will fly high at this year’s WTA Finals. Anisimova has been a revelation this season, her raw firepower tempered by newfound composure. Even her recent setback, a withdrawal from Wuhan due to a left calf injury, hasn’t dimmed her momentum. “The good thing at the end of the day is it’s nothing that would limit me or prevent me to keep playing for the rest of the season,” she assured, brushing off concerns with a champion’s calm.

Yet, the discussion would be incomplete without mentioning Coco Gauff, another American titan whose rise has been nothing short of spectacular. At the Wuhan Open, Gauff produced another masterclass. At 4-all in the first set of the final, she fired three of her four aces in a single game. Then, down 5-3 in the second, she reeled off 10 straight points to seal a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula.

That triumph marked her ninth WTA hard-court final and her ninth victory. “Oh, wow,” Gauff said when told she’s the only woman in history to win her first nine hard-court finals. “Your answer is probably just as good as mine. I don’t know, honestly. I think in finals, there’s something in you that wants to just go, because I made it this far, and I want to hold the trophy,” she added, laughing in disbelief at her own record-breaking run.

Still, as the WTA Finals loom, debates persist. Alongside Anisimova and Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Australian Open champion Madison Keys complete the American contingent. But Duval’s choice of Anisimova over Gauff speaks volumes, a nod to her rediscovered consistency and mental strength, while Gauff battles her own on-court chaos, marked by serving struggles and unforced errors. 

Coco Gauff’s Wuhan triumph clouded by unwanted record

Coco Gauff finally broke her trophyless spell since Roland Garros, capturing a WTA 1000 crown that reaffirmed her rise among the sport’s elite. Fresh off a deep semifinal run in Beijing, the young American struck gold once again, marking another career milestone.

But amid the celebration, a shadow lingers over her success: a statistic that refuses to fade.

Even as she lifted the Wuhan Open trophy, Gauff etched her name into the record books for an unusual reason. She became the first player in the Open Era to record over 400 double faults in consecutive seasons.

After her latest title run, the 21-year-old leads the 2025 WTA list with 405 double faults, a wide margin ahead of Ekaterina Alexandrova (280) and Linda Noskova (275). Marta Kostyuk, Alycia Parks, Amanda Anisimova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Dayana Yastremska complete the top eight, but none come close to her staggering count.

Her serving woes have been a running subplot since the French Open, where inconsistency from the line often dictated her fate. The pattern continued in Montreal, where she fired 23 double faults in her opening match against Danielle Collins.

Since then, she’s sought solutions, turning to biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, the same expert who revolutionized Aryna Sabalenka’s serve. The early signs of progress are visible, with Wuhan offering a glimmer of redemption.

Now, as the WTA Finals approach, the question hangs heavy: can Gauff sharpen her serve just in time to turn weakness into a weapon?