On Monday, January 26, 2026, women’s singles tennis stars Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula earned their spot in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Australian Open 2026. Anisimova defeated China’s Wang Xinyu, while Pegula secured the win over ninth-seed Madison Keys. Keys, the defending champion, has been knocked out and is no longer a contender to claim her second title of the tournament. Both Anisimova and Pegula will compete against each other in the quarterfinals match scheduled on Tuesday, January 27.
In the first fourth round match of the day, sixth-seed Pegula defeated America’s Keys in a 32-minute match by sets of 6-3, 6-4 held at the Rod Laver Arena. In the first set, Pegula held a 4-1 lead in both the sets over Keys, who struggled during her serve. Meanwhile, Pegula made excellent serves with few unforced errors in between. With the win, Pegula has taken one step forward towards claiming her maiden Grand Slam title. In addition to that, she will make her fourth quarterfinal appearance in Australia.
Off the court, Pegula and Keys have been good friends and have done a podcast together. The two have gone head-to-head previously on three occasions, with Keys winning two of the last matches played. The record now stands at 2-2.
On the other hand, fourth-seed Anisimova earned her first-ever spot in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after defeating China’s Wang Xinyu in the fourth-round match held on Monday. With the win, Anisimova earned the win in the first set from a tiebreak. In the second set, she then went on to lead over her Chinese opponent by securing a 6-4 lead. Anisimova defeated China’s Wang by sets of 7-6(4), 6-4.
The 24-year-old American player is moving ahead with her dominant form on the road to the Grand Slam, beginning with the Australian Open. Anisimova had a good season in the Brisbane International, held in the first week of January, and is aiming for her first major title victory. Last year at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Anisimova finished as runner-up.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 women’s singles star Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday, January 25, secured her spot in the quarterfinals match after defeating Canada’s young star Victoria Mboko by sets of 6-1, 7-6(1). This will be Sabalenka’s fourth quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open. She will next face America’s Iva Jović on Tuesday, January 27.
