For Gauff, the future wasn’t all that distant. Just four years later, she was in the Roland Garros women’s final, and two years after that, she won the grown-up US Open. In 2025, she added her second Slam at Roland Garros, and has made herself a fixture in the Top 3.
For Anisimova, the road from junior to pro glory was much more roundabout. In 2019, at 17, she made a Roland Garros semifinal. But by 2023, she was so disenchanted with her career that she left the tour for seven months. Finally, in 2025, everything came together as she reached her first two major finals and won her first two WTA 1000 titles. As 2026 begins, Anisimova is ranked No. 4 in the world, one spot behind Gauff.
There are two other Americans in the Top 10, No. 6 Jessica Pegula and No. 7 Madison Keys. But at 31 and 30, respectively, their careers are farther along. Anisimova, 24, and Gauff, still just 21, should be with us for a while.
Americans have never been known to have low expectations for their tennis players, especially on the WTA side. This is the country of Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, and dozens of others major champions and former No. 1s. That said, Gauff has already proven she’s capable of winning Slam titles on different surfaces, and after last year we know Anisimova has the game to do the same.
What should our expectations be for them in the new season?
