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Amanda Anisimova recently revisited her eight-month hiatus from tennis, which stemmed from the American's concerns about her mental health. The 23-year-old is currently on an astonishing run at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, where she has reached the women's singles semifinals.
Speaking to ESPN's Chris Evert and Chris McKendry following her quarterfinal victory at the grass Major against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anisimova explained the reason behind her return to the WTA Tour. The American's hiatus began in May 2023 and ended in January 2024, when she made her comeback at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
"I always knew deep down that no matter how long I was gonna take off, I was gonna come back to the tour. I still felt like there were so many things I wanted to achieve in the sport. Winning a Slam is definitely one of them, and I didn’t wanna walk away so early after sacrificing so much of my life and working so hard," Anisimova said.
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"Once I came back, I found this new passion for it. I feel like it’s a passion I didn’t feel back then or maybe when I was a teenager. Every win is that much more special now," she added.
Amanda Anisimova, the current WTA No. 12, went on to talk about the importance of mental health and how speaking up about it proved beneficial for her, despite it being a 'stigmatized topic'. She also highlighted how lonely life can begin to feel for professional tennis players.
"I feel like just me being honest and vulnerable about a topic that might be a bit stigmatized in a way, I think that was super important.. and for other people to have a different outlook or perspective on, you can struggle with your mental health. It’s just as important as your physical health. Especially when it comes to sports and pursuing this as a career. The lifestyle can be different if you don’t find that right balance. It can get lonely at times," Anisimova continued.
"It’s important to have fun on and off the court" - Amanda Anisimova
In the same interview, Amanda Anisimova further elaborated on how life can become one of 'loneliness' for professional tennis players due to the hectic schedule and frequent traveling. She also paid credit to teams of contemporary tennis players, which, according to her, have began taking the players' mental health more seriously.
"We’ve seen a lot of players struggle with that. It’s a super important thing. I think a lot of teams are starting to understand what it takes to create more happiness in the players lives. I’ve seen a lot of teams doing a great job with their players. It’s important to have fun on and off the court," Amanda Anisimova concluded.
In the semifinals of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Anisimova will lock horns with Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning World No. 1. The American is one of the few players to boast a better head-to-head record against the Belarusian. The pair has clashed on eight occasions, with Anisimova emerging victorious on five of them. However, their most recent meeting, a Round of 16 clash at this year's French Open, went Sabalenka's way.
