Big Amanda Anisimova prediction from Roger Federer's ex-coach will leave Elena Rybakina worried for 2026

Roger Federer's ex-coach Paul Annacone has made a major prediction for Amanda Anisimova’s 2026 season. However, Annacone’s statement might leave Elena Rybakina worried for the upcoming year.

Anisimova and Rybakina are amongst the top players of the WTA and they both enjoyed a fantastic 2025 season. The American made to the finals of the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, and rose to.a career high rank of World No.4. On the other hand, while Rybakina struggled to string together strong performances in the first half of the year, she ended her season on a high, clinching the WTA Finals trophy for the first time in her career.

Recently, the Tennis Channel asked several former players and coaches to choose who between Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina is more likely to win a Grand Slam in 2026. Roger Federer's ex-coach Paul Annacone put his weight behind the American, saying,

“I have loved what we've seen from Amanda Anisimova. I think she is knocking on the door, and she is my vote for a major victory next year.”

Former World No.9 Coco Vandeweghe and David Kane also voted for Anisimova, while Victoria Duval and Brett Harbour favored Rybakina.

Amanda Anisimova opens up about finding motivation for her 2026 season

Anisimova at the 2025 Miami Invitational (Image Source: Getty)

Amanda Anisimova kicked off her 2025 as the World No.36. The American quickly moved through the ranks and her incredible performances over the course of the next 11 months saw her end the year as the World No.4.

Now, with a new season around the corner, Anisimova told Sports Illustrated that while she is happy with her 2025, she is hoping to take the lessons she learned this year to get better in 2026, saying,

“I’m so happy with my year. Like, it’s been such a great year, and I think that I did more than I expected, for sure. I achieved things that I’ve always dreamt about. But then I also feel like there’s so much more room for improvement and a lot of big goals I’m still chasing for next year. And I think I can just take a lot of lessons, just a lot of takeaways from this year in terms of where I’ve grown as a player, and also what I need to do better next year. And I think a lot of the experiences I had this year are really beneficial for me going into next year.”

Amanda Anisimova is scheduled to kick off her 2026 at the Brisbane International, a WTA 500 event that will take place between January 4 and 11. She will be joined by the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya