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23-year-old Amanda Anisimova's career has taken flight this year after years of turbulence. Touted as a prodigy, she advanced to her maiden Major semifinal at the French Open 2019 at just 17 years of age. However, the untimely demise of her father in 2019, coupled with burnout, dimmed her light.
Anisimova walked away from the sport in 2023 and returned last year. She added her current coach, Rick Vleeshouwers from the Netherlands, to her team in 2024, and their partnership has blossomed beautifully over the past year. The American won her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open earlier this year and has now booked her spot in the semifinals of Wimbledon 2025.
Vleeshouwers previously coached Elise Mertens and Yanina Wickmayer. He also worked at the Kim Clijsters Academy and currently devotes some of his time to the Bree Tennis Academy as well. However, his main priority is helping his charge, Anisimova, scale new heights.
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Ahead of Anisimova's semifinal showdown against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, Vleeshouwers spoke to All Access England about their journey so far. One of the most crucial aspects of his job is to immediately rewatch the American's match the day it was played, a habit he picked up from his former pupil Mertens. It helps him to analyze everything while he's still in game mode.
"The first thing I always do is watch the whole match back at the end of the day it was played on. She (Mertens) asked me to watch it back as soon as possible because then you’re still in the game. It really helps me form a funded opinion," Vleeshouwers said.
This technique helps Vleeshouwers gauge if the insight he offered before the match was correct or not. For example, he was vindicated in his judgment during Anisimova's fourth-round match against Noskova. If he wasn't, then it indicates that he was lacking somewhere.
"When I was watching live, in my opinion those things paid off - and when I watched it back, it was clear. It means I am confident in the message I set out to her afterwards. If I didn’t prepare this well, it’s on me. I need to know I put enough time in," Vleeshouwers said.
Anisimova's shotmaking, coupled with Vleeshouwers' strategy, has worked out quite well so far. The latter has his unique way of coming up with ideas that could serve her well.
Amanda Anisimova's coach, Rick Vleeshouwers, prefers to keep his coaching tips brief and to the point
While some coaches have a full presentation ready to go, Rick Vleeshouwers is different. His game plan is direct and to the point, especially because he is confident in Amanda Anisimova's ability to handle things herself.
"I’ll filter all my research about her next opponent into a compact message – you’ve been playing great, here are some key points for the next one which I think can give you value. She knows how to play, but you need courage to execute the plan. So keep playing on your own terms, your own game, and stick to that. It should hopefully bring an advantage in the match itself," Vleeshouwers said.
Anisimova will meet Sabalenka in the semifinals on Thursday, July 10. If she beats her to reach her maiden Major final, then it would be the biggest achievement of her career, and a highlight of Vleeshouwer's coaching resume as well.
