Back to Blonde: Amanda Anisimova heads to Australian Open high on confidence

MELBOURNE, Australia—After a year like Amanda Anisimova’s, few would be eager to change a thing.

The 24-year-old is fresh off a breakthrough season, one in which she captured two WTA 1000 titles and reached two Grand Slam finals, and arrives Down Under at a career-high ranking of No. 4.

When you’re that close to the top, it’s all about small tweaks, and Anisimova opted to make just one before the first major of the season.

“Well, it's like pretty personal,” Anisimova joked of her decision to go back to blonde after a winning season as a brunette.

“So, like, I would go dark and I really liked it. But then after like a month it would look really bad. Either my roots would grow out or it would look orange. Didn't really suit me.

“I was just tired of, yeah, the maintenance. I'm someone who likes to keep changing things up. So I wouldn't be surprised if I went dark again in a year. We'll see how it goes.”

So far, Anisimova hasn’t seen a major dip in form: her 2026 debut came at the Brisbane International, where she won a round but fell to eventual finalist Marta Kostyuk. Despite ending the season with plenty of momentum—culminating with a semifinal finish at the WTA Finals—the perennially unbothered New Jersey native was relieved for the chance to slow down and retool in the off-season.

“It's good to have a chunk of time when you're just able to be at home and relax a bit,” she said dryly of her “productive” time off. “I think that's also really healthy for us.

“I just tried to understand what I wanted to work on with the five weeks I had, and how we were going to get the most out of the training. I made sure to not take my time at home for granted. Every single day I really tried to appreciate just the time that I had because it was pretty short.”

In the same quarter of the draw as fellow Americans Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys—the latter serving as defending champion—Anisimova could face a stern test as early as the third round against 2020 winner Sofia Kenin, but will aim to draw from her own Grand Slam experience to go far at the only major tournament where she is yet to reach the semifinals.

“Just being in those positions for the first time, I think the second time around is always going to be a little easier. At least I have been in those spots that I kind of know what to expect.

“At the same time, it's a new Grand Slam. I'm just really taking it one match at a time. Yeah, everyone is going to be very difficult to face here, but I'm looking forward to it.”

Poised to prove whether blondes indeed have more fun, Anisimova will play her first round against Switzerland’s Simona Waltert.