American tennis fans had reason to celebrate as Amanda Anisimova climbed to a career-high World No. 3, trailing only the World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and the World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. The achievement also saw Anisimova become the American No. 1 after surpassing her compatriot and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, who slipped to No. 4 in the WTA rankings.
Amanda Anisimova Officially Snatches Coco Gauff’s American No. 1 Crown
Anisimova has authored one of the most remarkable comeback stories in modern tennis. After stepping away from the tour in 2023 to focus on her mental health, she steadily rebuilt momentum over the next two seasons, with 2025 proving pivotal. Starting that year ranked as low as World No. 41, Anisimova showcased her resilience in full measure as she climbed back toward the elite.
Anisimova claimed her first title of the season at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open and used it as a springboard for a breakthrough year. The 24-year-old reached the final of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, highlighted by a semifinal victory over Aryna Sabalenka, before falling to Iga Swiatek. She went on to finish runner-up at the US Open and later added another WTA 1000 crown with a triumph at the China Open.
The breakthrough campaign also carried her to the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, where she advanced to the semifinals before being stopped by Sabalenka. Anisimova closed the season ranked World No. 4 and has now broken into the top three for the first time in her career.
MORE: Amanda Anisimova Makes Her Feelings Clear Ahead As She Looks To Build on 2025 Success in 2026
Although no ranking points were at stake last week, the shift was triggered as points from the opening week of the 2025 season dropped off the WTA rankings this week. Anisimova, who exited in the first round in Auckland last year, remains on 6,287 points, while Gauff’s total drops from 6,763 to 6,273 after losing the points she earned from guiding Team USA to the United Cup title.
NEW WORLD #3âť—
The new rankings are out and 🇺🇸 Amanda Anisimova has risen to a brand new career-high of #3. 💪👏
She’s just the third woman born in the 2000s ever to reach the Top 3, after Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff. đź’Ą
She’s also the new American #1:https://t.co/cr4c5JqPnS
— TENNIS (@Tennis) January 5, 2026
As noted, Anisimova has also surpassed Gauff as the American No. 1. Gauff, who is currently representing her nation at the United Cup, has endured a long title drought after winning her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last year.
However, she ended that by lifting the WTA 1000 title in Wuhan. With the new season already underway, it remains to be seen whether Gauff can reclaim ground on her compatriot, or even challenge Swiatek and Sabalenka at the top of the WTA rankings.
