Australian WTA player makes Amanda Anisimova prediction and says she would be ‘pretty surprised’ if it doesn’t happen.
Amanda Anisimova has made a winning start to her 2026 season at the Brisbane International.
Anisimova reached two Grand Slam finals last year, in what was a breakout season for the American.
The 24-year-old had been given some positive news even before her first match of the year, with Anisimova overtaking Coco Gauff in the WTA rankings.
As Anisimova looks to continue improving in 2026, a big prediction has now been made about the world number three.
Kimberly Birrell predicts what Amanda Anisimova will achieve this year
In her first match of the 2026 season, Anisimova beat Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell, 6-1 6-3, in an impressive start to the season.
After being knocked out of the Brisbane International, Birrell was asked about what she thought of Anisimova’s game.
“Yeah, I think she played really great,” Birrell said in her post-match press conference. “You never quite know what you’re going to get at the start of the season. Sometimes the best players also need to find their feet in their first match, but I thought she came out playing really well from the first point. So credit to her. She’s obviously ranked as high as she is for a reason. I know that.
“Even though it wasn’t the result I was hoping for, I think the more exposure I get at this high level, especially going into a Grand Slam, I still think it’s a great experience for me. It’s pretty soon after the match, but I’ll still try to look at the positives.”
When asked a follow-up question about where she rated Anisimova, Birrell admitted that she would be ‘pretty surprised’ if she does not win a Grand Slam title this year.
“Yeah, she’s one of the best players in the world, for sure,” added Birrell. “I think she’s got incredibly big weapons, and that’s what you sort of need to be going deep at these big tournaments. I think I would be pretty surprised if she doesn’t win a Grand Slam this year, I think, yeah.”
Birrell is not the only person to hold these opinions, with Anisimova even predicted to win the Australian Open.
What is Amanda Anisimova’s best Grand Slam tournament?
Anisimova will begin her 2026 Grand Slam season at the Australian Open, but it is actually the only major tournament where she has not surpassed the fourth round in her six previous appearances.
In terms of win-loss record, Wimbledon is actually Anisimova’s best-performing Grand Slam tournament after reaching the final last year.
Anisimova also reached the final of the US Open in 2025, but the New York major is her worst in terms of win-loss record.
As she looks to continue her preparation for the first Grand Slam of 2026, Anisimova will play Marta Kostyuk in her second match at the Brisbane International.
Although she will be the favorite in this match, Kostyuk actually leads the head-to-head against Anisimova 2-1.
