Amanda Anisimova is delivering impressive performances at the first Grand Slam of the season, reaching the quarterfinals, where she will clash with fellow American Jessica Pegula. The World No. 4, who has lost to Pegula three times previously, has reflected on her competitive mindset, the challenges she expects, and how she is staying motivated.
Amanda Anisimova Reveals Her Mindset Before Facing Jessica Pegula
Anisimova entered the Australian Open after exiting the Brisbane International, suffering a round-of-16 loss to the eventual finalist, Marta Kostyuk. At Melbourne Park, she defeated Simona Waltert, the World No. 1 in doubles, Kateřina Siniaková, Peyton Stearns, and then Wang Xinyu in the fourth round with a concluding score of 7-6(4), 6-4.
She has now reached the quarterfinals, where she will face Pegula, who defeated her friend, the defending champion, Madison Keys, in the fourth round. Anisimova and Pegula have competed against each other at the 2020 Cincinnati Open, the 2024 Charleston Open, and the 2024 National Bank Open final.
Apart from competing in the Tour matches, Anisimova was joyful after defeating Pegula at the Miami Invitational Exhibition. Then, Pegula also got a win at the ‘A Racquet at The Rock’ exhibition event that was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
During her post-match press conference, the Freehold Township, New Jersey, native shared her admiration for Pegula, what she anticipates in the quarterfinals given their past matches, and her mindset for their duel.
She added, “I mean, we’ve always had some great matches. It’s funny enough, I played her twice in the exhibitions in the preseason, but yeah, she’s such a great player and I really like her game. I’m sure it’s going to be a tough battle again. We always really go for our shots when we play against each other. I feel like we always have really long rallies, She’s a very stable player, but really looking forward to it and hopefully I can bring my best game.”
Furthermore, Anisimova expressed that she has an understanding of Pegula’s game and what her challenge would be, continuing, “I know her game pretty well now. I’d say it’s just the fact that she gets a lot of balls back and she can challenge any of the top players. She’s obviously at the top for a reason. I feel I always have a chance against anyone and it’s not really in my head. I feel like every match is new and different and I think the fact that I’ve never beaten her before is an extra challenge for me.”
After advancing to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, Anisimova had reached the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams. She reached the final rounds of both the US Open and Wimbledon Championships in 2025 and the semifinals of the French Open in 2019.
