Browsing: Brilliance

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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Despite losing three games in the group stages, India – their semi-final opponents – still feel the most likely team to beat them, having posted 330 against them in the pick of the group-stage games, only for it to prove at least 20 runs short.

They are also the most recent team to beat Australia in an ODI, in the pre-World Cup series which Healy’s side won 2-1, and will have a likely home crowd in their favour.

It makes for an intriguing batting match-up. Similarly, India have a very strong opening partnership in Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, who are averaging 82.8, but the latter may be a doubt for the semi-finals after sustaining an injury to her knee and ankle in the field against Bangladesh.

They also have strong batting depth but it has cost them in the bowling department, which could be the difference. India, with fewer all-rounders, have mostly opted for the extra batter and five bowlers but that saw Australia chase 330 with relative ease, so they are still searching for the right balance with their XI.

For England, they are outperforming their rivals with the ball in both the powerplay and the death overs, while their spin attack has taken the second-most wickets (37) and has the second-best average (19.2).

However, they are considerably far behind with the bat with strike-rates of 85.8 and 74 against pace and spin respectively – particularly struggling in the middle overs where they score at 4.55 runs per over at an average of 34.

South Africa, meanwhile, have the best powerplay bowling record in terms of economy, which could be a good contest considering Australia’s top-order strength.

They also have considerably the best batting record between overs 41-50, thanks to the lower order power-hitting of Nadine de Klerk in clutch chases against India and Bangladesh. They average 53 in overs 41-50 with the next best being Australia’s 31.3.

A huge element to the challenge of coming up against Australia, though, is not one that can be conveyed through stats – it comes from the mental game.

Whoever is to beat them knows they must put out pretty much the perfect performance under the highest pressure, and even then they might still be relying on Australia to make a few mistakes of their own.

Speaking of which, Australia mistakes in the field are rare – they take almost 77% of their catches, which ranks them second in the tournament.

They are behind England who, after so much criticism about fielding standards and fitness in recent years, top the catching charts with an efficiency of almost 83%.

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Yasiris Ortiz delivered an energetic and inspiring live table tennis exhibition at the Andrew Freedman Home during the Bronx Brilliance: Health is Wealth gathering. As part of the Community Enterprise Accelerator, this event celebrated wellness, entrepreneurship, and the strength of the Bronx community.

Representing Spin & Learn, Yasiris brought her signature passion to the table—literally—proving that sport can be a powerful vehicle for health and empowerment. Her exhibition not only entertained but also emphasized the importance of physical activity in community-building and personal development.

Surrounded by supporters, community leaders, and fellow changemakers, the event created a vibrant atmosphere focused on collaboration, vitality, and shared purpose. The crowdâ€s energy reflected a collective commitment to wellness and innovation in the Bronx.

Special thanks to:

• The Andrew Freedman Home for hosting
• Bronx Brilliance Community Enterprise Accelerator for organizing
• Catelyn Anne Photography for capturing the moments
• All attendees and partners who made this day memorable

Stay tuned for more community events, wellness initiatives, and table tennis exhibitions from Spin & Learn and our incredible team.

#BronxBrilliance #YasirisOrtiz #TableTennis #HealthWellness #CommunityAccelerator #AndrewFreedmanHome #SpinandLearn #NewYorkEvents

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