Amanda Anisimova opened her Australian Open with the brisk efficiency of a contender who knows exactly why she is here — and with just enough humanity to remind everyone she is still enjoying the ride. A 6–3, 6–2 dismissal of Simona Waltert took barely an hour, but it revealed both the steel and looseness of a player increasingly comfortable in her own skin.
A Statement Start Without Needing Perfection
Anisimova did not need her sharpest tennis to impose herself. Against the Swiss debutant, ranked No. 87, the world No. 4 absorbed an early rebreak, reset quickly, and surged clear by winning three straight games from 2–2 in the first set. The opener was scrappy — more errors than winners on both sides — yet firmly under American control.
Waltert vs Anisimova – Set 1 Stats
| Statistic | Waltert | Anisimova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.87 | 1.16 |
| Winners | 4 | 5 |
| Unforced Errors | 16 | 15 |
| Serve Rating | 201 | 251 |
| Aces | 1 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 5 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 52% (12/23) | 59% (17/29) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 67% (8/12) | 65% (11/17) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 36% (4/11) | 50% (6/12) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/2) | 0% (0/1) |
| Ace % | 4.3% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 21.7% | 10.3% |
| Return Rating | 205 | 247 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 35% (6/17) | 33% (4/12) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (6/12) | 64% (7/11) |
| Break Points Won | 100% (1/1) | 100% (2/2) |
| Pressure Points | 33% (1/3) | 67% (2/3) |
| Service Points | 52% (12/23) | 59% (17/29) |
| Return Points | 41% (12/29) | 48% (11/23) |
| Net Points | 100% (1/1) | 25% (1/4) |
| Total Points | 46% (24/52) | 54% (28/52) |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 4 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Games In A Row | 2 | 3 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h35m | |
That ability to win while imperfect has become a hallmark of her last 12 months. She has now won 13 of her last 15 Grand Slam matches, a run matched only by Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek over the same stretch. It is the statistical signature of a player who no longer panics when her A-game takes time to arrive.
Serve Clicks, Door Slams Shut
If the first set was about patience, the second was about authority. Anisimova raised her first-serve percentage from 59 percent to a punishing 82 and did not lose a single point on serve in the entire set. A break for 2–0 opened the floodgates, another soon followed, and Waltert was left chasing shadows.
Four consecutive service games without dropping a point sealed the contest, part of a run in which Anisimova won up to 20 straight points behind her delivery. It was ruthless, controlled, and very much the version Melbourne has learned to respect.
Waltert vs Anisimova – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Waltert | Anisimova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Winners | 3 | 8 |
| Unforced Errors | 11 | 5 |
| Serve Rating | 219 | 383 |
| Aces | 1 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 59% (13/22) | 81% (13/16) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 54% (7/13) | 100% (13/13) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 56% (5/9) | 100% (3/3) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (2/4) | – |
| Ace % | 4.5% | 12.5% |
| Double Fault % | 4.5% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 0 | 190 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 0% (0/13) | 46% (6/13) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 0% (0/3) | 44% (4/9) |
| Break Points Won | – | 50% (2/4) |
| Pressure Points | 50% (2/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Service Points | 55% (12/22) | 100% (16/16) |
| Return Points | 0% (0/16) | 45% (10/22) |
| Net Points | 100% (2/2) | 100% (1/1) |
| Total Points | 32% (12/38) | 68% (26/38) |
| Max Points In A Row | 4 | 8 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 3 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h26m | |
“First Rounds Are Always Tricky”
Anisimova was quick to acknowledge the challenge, even in a comfortable win. “First rounds are always tricky, so I’m really happy to be through,” she said afterward. “I thought I played pretty well.”
She admitted to visible frustration early, particularly after a rash of unforced errors, but framed it as part of the process. “I made a lot of errors in the first set, but that’s normal. The most important thing was keeping the right mindset. In the second set I raised my level and cleaned things up.”
When told she had won the first set despite producing more unforced errors than winners, she shrugged off the numbers. “I didn’t want to read too much into it. The key was not letting the errors get into my head. After each one, I reset.”
Carrying Confidence, Not Luggage, From 2025
Last season changed how Anisimova walks into big tournaments. Two Grand Slam finals, two WTA 1000 titles, and a rise to a career-high No. 3 have recalibrated expectations — externally and internally. Yet she insists Melbourne is a fresh canvas.
“It was a great year, and I take confidence from that,” she said. “But it’s a new tournament, a new Slam. I’m taking it match by match and trying to enjoy every moment.”
The Australian Open has been a familiar testing ground for her. She reached the fourth round here as an 18-year-old in 2019 and has since made the last 16 three times, though last year’s second-round exit to Emma Raducanu still lingers as unfinished business.
Serious on Court, Light Off It
Away from match play, Anisimova has leaned into balance. In Brisbane she spent time with Sabalenka and Paula Badosa — including filming a TikTok — a small detail that says plenty about her current headspace.
“I like having fun with the girls and having good relationships on tour,” she said. “We spend more time together than with our families, so that really matters.”
She values that ease, even as her competitive edge sharpens. “On court I’m more serious. Off court, the fun is what makes this lifestyle sustainable. I feel like I’ve found a really good balance over the last few years.”
The Long View Over Two Weeks
Anisimova speaks less about pressure now, more about routines. Mindfulness, grounding, and staying present are not buzzwords for her; they are tools she uses daily. “I honestly didn’t think much today,” she said. “I finished the match and told myself, ‘That’s how I played, and that’s okay.’”
Her goals are straightforward and unspectacular — consistency, discipline, health — but the execution has elevated her into the conversation she once skirted. Next up is either Katerina Siniakova or Panna Udvardy, another test of focus rather than flair.
The title talk will grow louder. Anisimova, for now, is keeping the volume down — and her tennis doing the speaking.