Anastasia Potapova produced one of the more eye-catching results of the 2026 U.S. Open on Saturday, beating Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-5 in the third round to move into the fourth round in New York. The Russian won in 90 minutes and, after the match, said: “I think I’m the happiest person out here.”
The result ended Anisimova’s run in a match that never quite settled into her rhythm. Potapova has built a growing reputation for troubling top Americans at Grand Slams, and this latest win only adds to that theme.
Anisimova never found her best level
For Anisimova, the defeat was a sharp setback after a Grand Slam summer in 2025 that included a run to the U.S. Open final, another appearance in the Wimbledon final and a rise to No. 4 in the world. She had also reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2026, so the expectation was that she would go deeper again here.
Instead, she struggled to impose herself inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, where windy conditions appeared to make life difficult. By the end, the numbers reflected the story of the match: Potapova held her nerve better and Anisimova was left with too many errors.
Anisimova described her level as “pretty average”, while also making it clear that her coaching arrangement remains intact. “Oh, yeah, of course, I’m gonna continue working with him, and today’s match doesn’t change our partnership,” she said.
Potapova keeps building momentum
Potapova’s performance was disciplined rather than flashy, but it was exactly what was required. She took the first set 6-2 and then managed the tighter second set well enough to close it out 7-5.
That kind of straight-sets win matters because it shows she can translate form into the later rounds of a Grand Slam. It also gives her another chance to test herself against elite opposition, with Mirra Andreeva up next in the fourth round after Andreeva beat Nikola Bartůňková 6-2, 7-6.
Potapova had already signalled her ability to upset big names when she beat Coco Gauff in the third round of the French Open in June. This run in New York strengthens the sense that she is becoming a difficult opponent for high-profile players to handle over the course of a major.
The next meeting with Andreeva will be a different kind of challenge, but Potapova arrives with confidence and a result that should turn heads. For Anisimova, the focus now shifts to resetting after a loss that will sting because of both the scoreline and the stage.
