Marta Kostyuk defeated Amanda Anisimova 6–4, 6–3 in the second round of the Brisbane WTA 250 on hard court on 8 January 2026, an upset victory against the pre-match favourite. Anisimova entered as the odds-on favourite at 1.38, whilst Kostyuk was priced at 3.27, yet the Ukrainian produced a composed performance to advance. Kostyuk's straightforward two-set victory suggests improved consistency on the hard-court surface and strengthens her position in the early-season rankings race.