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Alison Riske-Amritraj recently announced the passing away of her father Albert Riske after a battle with a rare form of blood cancer or leukemia.
The American revealed that the disease relapsed in late 2022 and that the thought of a potential future without her father deteriorated her mental and physical health. She opened up about dealing with the despair for the past few months, accentuating how her father's fighting spirit was unshakeable in the face of adversity.
In a post on Instagram, Riske-Amritraj paid a profound tribute to her father's life with snapshots of some of their favorite moments together. She highlighted his career as a steadfast FBI investigator, a perpetual animal lover and his penchant for humor. She further attributed her success to his constant encouragement, before expressing gratitude for the endless happy memories.
"My dad’s rare form of leukemia came back a few days after Thanksgiving last year," the 32-year-old said in an Instagram post. "The realization of a life without my dad crippled me both mentally and physically for the past months. The disease ravaged his body, but his spirit never faltered."
"My dad was a Marine, Secret Service agent, and an FBI private investigator. He was a badass his entire life. He adored animals like they were his children. His sense of humor and laugh fill my greatest memories. He was our family’s greatest protector and my biggest fan-and I was his. To know him, was to know you will never meet anyone else quite like him. Because he was, I am. Forever my hero & inspiration, forever my dad," she added.
Alison Riske-Amritraj concluded her post by urging her followers to donate to Leukemia research and spread awareness about the disease.
Alison Riske-Amritraj continues to plummet in WTA rankings months after US Open heroics
Alison Riske-Amritraj notched a string of encouraging performances during the 2022 season, including a couple of WTA finals in Adelaide and Nottingham before a third-round appearance at Wimbledon. The 32-year-old further registered wins over Major champions Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko during the North American hardcourt swing.
However, her highlight of the season was her run at the US Open, which saw her make the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in nine years. Riske-Amritraj subsequently rose to No. 23 in the WTA rankings, her highest in about two years.
Her fortunes turned on their heads soon after, and the American failed to manage a win for the rest of the season. Even in 2023, Riske-Amritraj has had little respite. Her only triumph came in the qualifying round of the Adelaide International 2, against Alana Parnaby. She is currently ranked No. 62 in the world.
Interestingly, all of her subsequent losses, starting from the Australian Open, have been tight three-setters, and there's much reason to believe that the WTA Tour veteran is knocking on the doors of yet another resurgence.
