The quarterfinals lineup at the 2026 Australian Open is stacked in the women’s draw, as 6 of the Top 8 seeds have made it to the latter stages of the event. Of them, two intriguing matches are scheduled for Jan. 28: an All-American clash between Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, and a high-profile matchup between Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina. Let’s take a look at the two matchups that are to take place on Day 11 at the 2026 Australian Open.
Jessica Pegula Will Take on Amanda Anisimova In the Quarterfinals Of The Australian Open
Sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula will take on fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova in the last eight of the Australian Open. Pegula has yet to drop a set at Melbourne this year, winning her first two matches against Anastasia Zakharova and McCartney Kessler. In the third round, she won against unseeded Oksana Selekhmeteva, after which she faced her most formidable challenge so far in the form of defending champion Madison Keys. Still, the sixth seed won 6-3, 6-4 with relative ease.
Given how she finished the Slam season last year, Amanda Anisimova was one of the pre-tournament favorites coming into Melbourne. Like Pegula, Anisimova has yet to drop a set, having beaten the likes of Simona Waltert, Kateřina Siniaková, Peyton Stearns, and Wang Xinyu to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open for the first time.
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The head-to-head is 3-0 in favor of Pegula, but the PFSN Exclusive Simulator has put Anisimova as the favorite, putting her chances of winning the match at 53%. As far as 2026 stats are concerned, Anisimova is marginally ahead of Pegula, as she has won 72.2% of service games and 35.3% of return games, compared to Pegula’s 70.5% and 31.9% win rates in service and return games, respectively.
Pegula is the more reliable player, but she has not faced Anisimova since 2024. Anisimova has improved her movement across the court by leaps and bounds, giving her a slight advantage over Pegula in the upcoming match.
Pick- Anisimova to win in three sets
Iga Świątek Aiming For The Career Slam As She Faces Elena Rybakina In Quarterfinals At The Australian Open
Iga Świątek will be on her quest to complete the Career Slam, as she takes on Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Świątek began her campaign with straight-set wins over Yue Yuan and Marie Bouzková. She dropped a set in the third round, but came through in three sets against the 31st-seeded Anna Kalinskaya, following which, she thrashed Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, 6-0, 6-3 in the fourth round.
Elena Rybakina has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year, winning against Kaja Juvan and Varvara Gracheva. She faced Czech teen sensation Tereza Valentová in the third round, winning easily in straight sets. She took on the 21st-seeded Elise Mertens in the fourth round, winning 6-1, 6-3.
Świątek has a 6-5 lead in the head-to-head against Rybakina, including a win in four of the last five matches she has played against the Kazakh. The PFSN Exclusive Simulator has made the Kazakh player the favorite, with a 53% win probability. 2026 statistics put Rybakina ahead in serving, as she has won 81.2% of the service games, compared to Świątek’s 62.7%. However, the Pole has the better return stats, winning 44% of return games compared to Rybakina’s 34.4%.
The last time they played on a hard court, Rybakina beat Świątek in three sets, including a 6-0 set for the Kazakh at the WTA Finals. She has also beaten the Pole at the Australian Open previously and will have the marginal edge going into the match.
Pick- Rybakina to win in three sets
