Amanda Anisimova has had worse birthdays.
On the day she turned 25, the American tennis sensation started her morning with a surprise locker room tribute from her fellow pros, and will likely end it celebrating with a Honey Deuce or two this evening.
It is the part in the middle that is most interesting, though: a brutal 6-1, 6-3 US Open first-round victory over countrywoman Ashlyn Krueger, and a reminder that she has the skillset to go deep in this tournament.
It will take some upsets, of course – a potential quarter-final match-up with Coco Gauff awaits – but Anisimova was in tantalizing form in front of a partisan Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd on Monday afternoon.
Despite being just three years apart in age, it is a quirk of Anisimova and Krueger’s careers that they have only met once in the past: a last 32 clash at the now-defunct Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose in 2022. Krueger, then a wild card, was dismantled 6-2, 7-6.
How she would have loved to take eight games off Anisimova today. Instead, the Miami native raced through in just 72 minutes, the crowd barely having time to find their seats before she was celebrating her victory. Perhaps there is a birthday reservation to prepare for in one of Manhattan’s Michelin-star restaurants.
Amanda Anisimova celebrates winning a point during her dominant first round US Open win
Ashley Krueger proved no match for Anisimova in front of a partisan Louis Armstrong crowd
The American arrived to her locker on Monday to find a display from Mirra Andreeva (L) and Daria Kasatkina, labeling her the ‘meme queen’ of the women’s tour
The only minor blips in Anisimova’s game on Monday came at the start of each set, last year’s US Open finalist struggling on her serve and gifting her opponent multiple break points.
In the first set, despite being 0-40 up, Krueger didn’t take it, but in the second set she managed to seal the break, raising a small – yes, very small – possibility of a comeback.
The tide turned shortly after, though, with Krueger taking her much-needed break of serve, gift-wrapping it and passing it straight back to the birthday girl. Cue an outburst of anger from the 22-year-old, who slammed her racket to the ground and kicked it across the court.
Perhaps it was at that moment – 6-1, 2-1 down – that she began to make plans for her return home to Texas.
Anisimova fires a forehand winner down the line against Krueger on her 25th birthday
Anisimova laughs while talking to the media in her pre-tournament press conference Saturday
Indeed, it didn’t take long from there for Anisimova to see out the match, and set up her second-round date with Austrian Lilli Tagger.
While the third-ranked American hasn’t quite reached the heights of her brilliant 2025, when she was a finalist at both Wimbledon and here at Flushing Meadows, she is showing glimpses of the ability that took her within touching distance of a Grand Slam title.
The last few years have seen a remarkable transformation – in the wake of her mental health break in 2023, she is physically in the best shape of her career and truly able to mix it with the best in a wide-open women’s game.
Tougher tests await over the next fortnight, but as far as birthdays go, this was one to remember for the talented young American.
