Notes from the Tour: Grand ambitions for Amanda...

Thursday 20th February 2025

Last week, we talked about teenagers doing well on the tour. And as I write, I’ve just watched 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva beat former world no.1 Iga Swiatek in Dubai this morning...

Today, I want to follow up on four female players who first featured in our Ones to Watch selections as teenagers - and are now all in their early twenties, and looking in very promising form for 2025…

Former teenage stars ready to shine in 2025…

CLARA TAUSON knocked out current world no.1 Aryna Sabalenka yesterday. A 4/1 match upset on the day. The 22-year-old Dane (ranked no.38) started the week as a 66/1 outsider for the WTA ‘Masters’ 1000 title in Dubai. Clara won WTA Auckland in January, at odds of 22/1.

• A former Girls’ Australian Open champion, Tauson appeared in my pre-season Ones to Watch report for 2022 - when she was just 19 years old (and when I was still using my ‘Tom Wilson’ pen-name). Clara put together her best Grand Slam run to date at last year’s French Open, reaching the 4th round (last 16)

This afternoon, Tauson will face LINDA NOSKOVA in the Dubai quarter finals. Noskova started the week at 40/1. If either of those two youngsters go on to take the trophy there this week, it will be the biggest title of their careers to date.

• I gave Noskova a big write-up in my pre-season Ones to Watch report ahead of last season, when she was still a teenager. She went on to beat Swiatek en-route to reaching a debut Grand Slam quarter final at the Australian Open 2024. Now 20 years of age and the current world no.35, Linda has already beaten 2024 US Open runner-up and world no.5 Jessica Pegula this week, as well as fellow Ones to Watch in 2024 youngster, Diana Shnaider. Noskova also got a strong mention in this year’s report, which focused on Czech players

MARTA KOSTYUK has also been in our notes for some time now. And as with Tauson and Noskova, the 22-year-old Ukrainian has gone in the book as a 100/1+ tournament pick in Ones to Watch in recent seasons…

• Kostyuk was 19 when she featured in our pre-season Ones to Watch list for 2022 - and ranked at no.50 in the world. Marta is now up to no.21 in the standings, and with a first WTA title to her name (Austin, 2023). Last year, she reached her maiden Grand Slam quarter final, at the Australian Open

And last but certainly not least for today’s Ones to Watch player update…

Grand ambitions for Amanda…

AMANDA ANISIMOVA has just won the biggest title of her career. Lifting the trophy at the first WTA 1000 event of 2025 last week, in Doha. The 23-year-old American was a 50/1 shot there.

Originally flagged up as a 100/1+ teenage Grand Slam prospect by this column, right back in September 2018. And subsequently making it onto my pre-season lists in 2020 and then 2022…

Followed by this ‘honourable mention’ in last year’s report, when Amanda was on the comeback, and ranked at no.368 in the world:

A former French Open semi-finalist (2019) and Wimbledon quarter-finalist (2022), Amanda has also made it to week two (4th round, last 16) at the Aussie Open three times - and on each occasion, the player who beat her in Melbourne went on to reach the final.

• After winning Doha in February 2025, Anisimova is now up to a career-high ranking of no.18

With next month’s Sunshine Double coming up in the USA - Indian Wells and the Miami Open. And three Grand Slams on the way as we head into spring and summer - French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. I say let’s keep a keen eye out for these four young ladies at big odds this season…

Clara Tauson
Linda Noskova
Marta Kostyuk
Amanda Anisimova

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P.S

There are no fewer than five tournaments coming up next week. I’ll see you then…

Enjoy the tennis…

Best wishes,

Oliver Upstone

Ones to Watch