There is an air of calm surrounding Amanda Anisimova when she speaks; a palpable sense of her comfort in her own skin.
In a sport like tennis that can swing its protagonists from one emotional extreme to another, week in, week out, Anisimova has worked hard to value the highs, the lows, and the moments in between, all while staying true to herself.
A former teen prodigy who turned pro at 15 and reached the French Open semi-finals at just 17, Anisimova stepped away from the professional circuit for eight months in 2023, citing burnout and mental health concerns.
It was a bold decision, given how athletes are always encouraged to push through their struggles and stick to the grind; a decision that has ultimately paid off in more ways than one.
Today she is No 4 in the world and is competing in the WTA Finals for the first time in her career on the back of a banner season that saw her reach the Wimbledon and US Open finals and clinch a pair of WTA 1000 crowns.
Looking back at her 2025 campaign, Anisimova says the biggest lesson involved her mental approach.
“I would say the mindset that I go into tournaments and matches with. I think thatâ€s been the most important thing for me this year,†the 24-year-old American told the Guardian on the sidelines of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
“It helps, obviously, when Iâ€m done with the tournament, being able to look back and tell myself Iâ€ve done everything I can. And Iâ€m proud of the way I competed and carried myself on the court. And thatâ€s definitely something that Iâ€ve tried to do all year round.â€
There is a lot to admire when it comes to Anisimova, whether itâ€s her powerful brand of first-strike tennis, her devastating backhand, or her openness when discussing her vulnerability. But the moment that truly epitomised her strength of character came when she lost the Wimbledon final 6-0, 6-0 to Iga Swiatek in July.
Tennis hands the microphone to its athletes moments after a gut-wrenching defeat and expects them to give a wholesome speech. Fighting tears, Anisimova addressed the Wimbledon Centre Court crowd with heartfelt words towards Swiatek, the fans, and her mother Olga, who flew in that morning to watch her daughter compete in her first grand slam final.
That speech resonated with countless people watching, including many of her peers.
“I thought she did it with such grace, she handled it so well,†said world No 7 Madison Keys, who is also playing in Riyadh. “I know being in that position, itâ€s such a heartbreaking situation. I thought the way she carried herself through it with such grace, I was incredibly impressed by.â€
What Anisimova did next was just as impressive. A mere 53 days after her crushing loss to Swiatek, she flipped the script and defeated the Polish star en route to the US Open final. At the start of the Open, Anisimova said she was hoping for a rematch and she got her wish in the quarter-finals.
Anisimova lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final in New York but rebounded in spectacular fashion by winning the WTA 1000 title in Beijing just four weeks later.
“Of course, it wasnâ€t easy,†said Anisimova, reflecting on her summer. “I had to really work on myself mentally and just put things in perspective and sit down with myself and think about how Iâ€m going to bounce back or how Iâ€m going to go into the next few tournaments, especially if I have to face her [Swiatek] again.
“But I think everything kind of came naturally to me. I didnâ€t really overthink anything. Just kind of like itâ€s a new tournament, itâ€s a new day and a new match. Thatâ€s how I went about it, really.â€
Amanda Anisimova after her victory in Beijing this year. Photograph: Jessica Lee/EPA
Anisimova has had to navigate several difficult circumstances from a young age. Besides struggling with the lifestyle and the stressors of being a teenager on tour, she lost her father Konstantin one week shy of her 18th birthday.
Asked where she draws her strength from, Anisimova says: “Everything Iâ€ve experienced in my life. I think having gone through certain situations and things and being able to have healed myself from that in a way and really work on myself. I think thatâ€s where I get that kind of mentality. And Iâ€m surrounded by very strong women as well. So, I think itâ€s a combination of things.â€
Anisimova is driven by the simple idea of wanting to be “the best athlete I can beâ€. She acknowledges nerves played a part in both finals she lost at the majors this year and is doing everything she can to address that issue. Sheâ€s also learned to keep an eye out for signs of burnout, and tries to take a short break, or plan for a longer one, whenever she feels extreme fatigue is setting in.
“I think Iâ€ve just done a really good job of balancing my time on and off the court this year,†she added.
Anisimova has great chemistry with her team, and they all make sure theyâ€re able to have fun together, on and off the court.
Before the action in Riyadh kicked off, they went dune-bashing in the Saudi desert. She was the only one who opted out of the camel ride – “I felt so bad for them when I got there. We did it once. I normally wouldnâ€t support the animals being used like that,†she explains. She went for an ATV instead.
Anisimova believes having the right people around her has been key, but more importantly, she believes young up-and-coming athletes should be encouraged to take ownership over their career decisions.
“When you do so well at a young age, thereâ€s obviously a lot of pressure and expectations,†she says. “And a lot of new things that youâ€ve never experienced before. And itâ€s a lot for a young kid whoâ€s not developed fully, like not even close to fully. So itâ€s definitely a lot.
“And I would say that the younger girls on tour right now are doing a great job of balancing and managing that. I think the one thing that I would say thatâ€s important is the people you surround yourself with and the guidance and the advice.
“I think itâ€s really important to let girls know, or boys, to make the right decisions for yourself and listen to yourself and not try and say yes to everything and feel like you have to do certain things.
“I think thatâ€s a big killer in certain ways, is just feeling like you have to do certain things and that can really lead to burnout. So thatâ€s definitely something that I would have done differently.â€
Since she returned to the tour following her break, Anisimova has received scores of messages from people telling her how much they could relate to her struggles, and how they found her journey inspiring.
She finds herself connecting the most to people who have shared their journeys, and sheâ€s proud she can provide that for others as well.
“Just being able to relate to certain people in that way is a special thing, even if you donâ€t really know them. So for me to be able to do that to other people has been one of the most special things for me this year, for sure,†she says.
Showing there is strength in vulnerability is ultimately the message she hopes to convey to the world through her life as a professional tennis player.
“I think me, just being myself this year, every kind of situation Iâ€ve been in or where Iâ€ve had to speak freely, and I really just try and be as authentic as I can,†says Anisimova. “And I think that really crossed over to a lot of people and itâ€s really shown you can be vulnerable and thatâ€s OK. And I think thatâ€s kind of been the most important thing for me this year is to just really be myself and speak honestly and freely. And thatâ€s just what I try and do.â€
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