Amanda Anisimova recently reacted to her win over Jessica Pegula at the 2025 Miami Invitational, an exhibition event. The two players have faced each other three times on the WTA Tour, with the former World No. 3 winning all of their previous match-ups. Their most recent encounter was in the final of the 2024 Canadian Open, which Pegula won, claiming the title.
Amanda Anisimova Reacts to Defeating Jessica Pegula at the Miami Invitational
Anisimova and Pegula, along with Carlos Alcaraz and João Fonseca, participated in the Miami Invitational, which took place on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at loanDepot Park. Both the WTA stars faced off in a singles match at the exhibition event, with Anisimova securing the win.
During the post-match on-court interview, Anisimova expressed that it felt like it had taken her nearly ten years to achieve a victory against Pegula, even if it was in an exhibition. She described Pegula as an “incredible player,” expressing that it has always been “tough” to compete against her.
“I feel like it’s taken me 10 years. So it’s really nice to be standing here today. I mean, Jess is an incredible player, and it’s always tough playing against her, even at the exhibitions. We played in New Jersey last night. I don’t know if you guys got a chance to catch that, and we had another great match today,” Anisimova said.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting ten years for this” 😂
Amanda Anisimova on defeating Jessica Pegula for the first time 💪 pic.twitter.com/5QE8mA2h3S
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 9, 2025
The World No. 4 also mentioned that playing in Miami is always “fun” and “super special.”
“So it’s always a lot of fun. I love playing here in Miami, so I mean maybe because of that, and I had like my home crowd here. I’m just really excited to be here, and it’s super special to play here at home,” she added.
During the 2025 season, Anisimova won two titles: the Qatar Open and the China Open. She finished as the runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open, and reached the semifinals at the Charleston Open.
On the other hand, Pegula concluded her season with three titles: the ATX Open, Charleston Open, and Bad Homburg Open. She also had runner-up finishes at the Adelaide International, Miami Open, and Wuhan Open.
Amanda Anisimova To Begin 2026 at the Brisbane International, Jessica Pegula at the Adelaide International
Anisimova is scheduled to begin her 2026 season at the Brisbane International, which will take place from January 4 to January 11, 2026, on the outdoor hard courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
“I love playing in Australia and I’m really looking forward to starting my 2026 season in Brisbane. It’s the perfect setting for me to build some momentum ahead of the Australian Open,” Anisimova said.
Alongside Anisimova, players such as defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, former champion Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina, and others will also compete in the WTA 500 hard-court tournament.
Meanwhile, Pegula will kick off her 2026 season at the Adelaide International, set to take place from January 12 to January 17, 2026, at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. In addition to the American, the tournament will feature players like defending champion Keys, Belinda Bencic, Clara Tauson, Paula Badosa, and others.
“I’m excited to return to Adelaide after the final last summer. As one of the first major tournaments of the year, it helps build momentum for the new tennis season. The timing couldn’t be better and the quality of the field always makes it an important week on the calendar,” Pegula said.
At the 2025 Adelaide International, Pegula defeated Maria Sakkari, Ashlyn Krueger, and Yulia Putintseva to reach the final, where she finished as the runner-up after losing to Keys.
