Where did Amanda Anisimova go to college? All you need to know about the American's much-needed mental health break that saved her tennis career

American tennis star Amanda Anisimova has quickly emerged as one of the top-tier performers in the world, most recently defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach the finals of Wimbledon 2025. Anisimova is currently ranked No. 12 in the world and is climbing the rankings at every possible opportunity. Her rise to fame, however, came only after the 23-year-old took a professional break from tennis due to mental health issues.

Amanda Anisimova's first taste of success came in 2018, when she claimed her first top-10 victory by defeating Petra Kvitová at the Indian Wells Open. She would go on to compete at the 2019 Australian Open, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka, who was ranked as the World No. 11 at the time. She also won the 2019 Copa Colsanitas tournament, which marked her first career title. A few years later, Anisimova took a break from tennis after establishing herself as an elite-level player.

Anisimova took a break in May 2023 due to struggles concerning her mental health and burnout issues. During her time off the court, she explored various interests, such as her passion for art.

She even enrolled at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, attending classes in person and online for a semester to pursue the same. During that period, Anisimova also revealed that she'd be selling her original paintings to benefit charities including Feeding America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Preventing Child Abuse America, according to Tennis.com.

In an interview with Olympics.com, she said:

“I picked that hobby up when I was struggling with my mental health. It was definitely something that I really enjoyed off the court, for a few hours to reset my mind and put something creative into the world. I was really enjoying that and doing the charity stuff when I was taking a break from tennis.”

Anisimova took an eight-month break after her loss at the 2023 Madrid Open, returning to compete at the start of the 2024 season.

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Amanda Anisimova on her return: "Feel like that really served me"

Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon 2025 - Source: Getty

Amanda Anisimova recently made her feelings known on her return to competition. According to CNN, she said:

“Yeah, I feel like that really served me, definitely. Coming out of that break, it wasn’t all upward. There were definitely some ups and downs coming out of it and getting used to the lifestyle and just being an athlete at this level. It’s not easy. I definitely had to find my way back, really work on the fitness side, and definitely get in my hours of training. Yeah, I mean, it’s been a journey. I feel like since last summer, it’s really trended upwards for me. I finally found my game and my confidence.”

Amanda Anisimova will be facing either Belinda Bencic or Iga Świątek in the finals of Wimbledon 2025, which is scheduled to be held on July 12th.