US OPEN

August 31, 2026

Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/A. Krueger

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. A crisp hour and 12 minutes. Assess your level of play today.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I thought it was a great match today. Ashlyn was playing some great tennis, so I feel like the quality and the level was pretty high today.

Yeah, really happy with my performance and excited to be through to the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Reuniting with your coach, I haven't talked to you since that happened, how has that been for you? Does it feel like it's restoring what you got going during your best times before?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, no, it's been great to be back together. I feel like he knows me inside out, so we just went straight into it again, the training process, and just getting ready for the tournaments, because we met in Toronto, so we didn't have too much time. And I feel like once we reconnected, I feel like I was able to find my level quite quickly.

Ever since then, I feel like I have been picking up some rhythm and my tennis has been improving. So really been happy about that. Obviously it's always been fun working with him, so we have a lot of fun off of the court.

Yeah, I have been really happy and feeling like myself. Yeah, just excited to be back working with him.

Q. Do you think taking a break makes that relationship stronger in the long run?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think in a lot of ways it actually helps, because you're able to reflect on the relationship from an outside perspective when you have some time off.

I feel like there were a lot of things that I did wrong towards the end of our partnership there earlier in the year, and maybe at times I was a bit too hot-headed.

So I feel like, yeah, I was able to really reflect on that and also work on myself. Not necessarily only towards him. I think it was just my whole demeanor going into the year with just tennis and just results. So it was a whole combination of different things that I was able to really have some insight and reflect on.

So I feel like with everything going into it this time, I feel like we have a very fresh perspective, and yeah, it feels really good. I could say I feel a bit more mature (smiling).

Q. Happy Birthday. I know you posted on your Instagram Mirra and Daria decorating your locker with the memes. Could you talk about your friendship with both of them? And I guess your relation to other players, them also being aware of your meme-worthiness?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: They didn't decorate it (smiling).

Q. Oh, they didn't?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: No, the USTA did that for me.

Yeah, but their selfie was really cute. But no, when I saw them taking a picture in front of it, I thought it was really sweet, and it made me laugh. Yeah, no, those two are great and it's always fun to be around them.

Q. As we're on the memes, you know the one with the cup...

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I know all of them.

Q. I think it was Red Bull or something similar, but it looked like beer.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, the energy drink, yeah.

Q. Were you aware when you were drinking that, I know what this is going to look like and...

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Well, I thought nobody was going to see it. That was my whole intention of having it be discreet and under the towel. I thought it was not going to go anywhere. And it obviously ended up being the biggest thing of the week.

I think that is a learning lesson to not try and be low-key about things, maybe. Yeah, I was trying to not have it be shown. Yeah, it ended up being something, a form of entertainment for a lot of people. Not beer, though.

Q. I have heard a few male players say that throughout Round 1s at slams are so tense in the locker room there are lines to the bathroom, people need to get things out of them. How do you experience that in terms of how tense it is for you? And do you feel the tension in the locker room, as well?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I would say that it's like a normal level of nerves. I think I really try to channel my nerves in some more excitement. I think that helps me.

Yeah, I have been really excited to be back here and to try and look at it as an opportunity. Every single day is an opportunity in itself.

Yeah, today was my birthday, so maybe that took a little bit of the stress off. I knew that maybe like getting messages and texting my friends back was a good distraction for me actually, since it was the first round. I was, like, Maybe this is a good thing that these two align on the same day, the first round and my birthday.

Yeah, I think everyone is always nervous for the Grand Slam first round because you're trying to find your tennis and maybe find your rhythm, because first rounds don't always necessarily have the highest quality. Some people try to find their game and then they find it more in the later stages of the tournament, but I think it's very individual to the player.

I felt great out there today. I thought I played well. So I'm happy about that.

Q. At Wimbledon, you entered as the reigning finalist for the first time. Here you have had that experience going into the first week of a Grand Slam with a big run to defend. Did you learn anything from your experience at Wimbledon heading into this slam?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Well, I don't really necessarily look at it as defending. I just look at it as a new tournament and another opportunity, but I don't necessarily look at it from that perspective, so...

Q. I'm glad you didn't feel or smell too much pressure heading into the first round. On the topic of birthdays, do you like to try to celebrate today or do you maybe save a bigger celebration for after the tournament?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I don't know what's going on in the men's locker room, but our locker room smells good, at least I think so.

Your question was if I have anything planned today?

Q. And if you save a bigger celebration for after the tournament.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think that my family and friends have something planned for tonight. We're going to see. Yeah, I'm looking forward to tonight, because I have a few people here in the city that I just get to be with. I'm looking forward to that. And my mom has been with me here the last few days, which has been nice.

Always normally after the US Open I stick around for a few days because it's kind of like my second home and I have my best friends who live in the city here. So I always like to stick around for a little bit and a little belated birthday celebration.

Q. When you are in the city, are you a museum person, a musical person? Are there things specific to Manhattan that you like?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I love to go to a Broadway show. Big show person. If we're talking about after tournament, to go to a nice dinner or go out, I feel like New York is the best for that, and there's always something happening at any hour in the day or night.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like there are so many things that I get to do after the tournament, but really during, I try to focus on the tournament. Don't have time for too, too much, so I save it for after.