Amanda Anisimova walked away from tennis two years ago. On Saturday, she'll play in the Wimbledon final.
The accomplishment is even more improbable knowing Anisimova temporarily left the sport to focus on her mental health just two years ago.
'I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,' Anisimova wrote on social media on May 5, 2023. 'It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I've worked as hard as I could to push through it. I will miss being out there, and I appreciate all the continuous support.'
After she lost in the first round of the Madrid Open in May 2023, Anisimova realized she needed time off. Citing her mental health, she announced on Instagram she would be taking an indefinite leave.
It was a surprising decision from a player who had climbed as high as No. 21 in the WTA rankings.
In 2019, Anisimova appeared in the French Open semifinals at only 17 years old, the youngest woman to advance that far in a major since 2006. At Roland Garros that year, she beat reigning French Open champion Simona Halep, as well as Sabalenka.
In 2022, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating defending champion Naomi Osaka in the process. Later that year, Anisimova also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and in that tournament, she upset rising American star Coco Gauff.
But despite the success, Anisimova said by May of the following year that she was feeling burned out and needed to step away. She took refuge in passions outside of sports, including a love of art.
'I picked that hobby up when I was struggling with my mental health,' Anisimova told Olympics.com last month. '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.'
'It was special to me and it felt like I was doing something other than tennis,' she added. 'It was nice to have a few interests outside of tennis.'
Anisimova returned to competitive play at the Auckland Open in January 2024 and has been slowly but surely climbing back up the ranks since.
At the 2024 Washington Open, she reached the quarterfinals of a tournament for the first time since 2022, beating Sloane Stephens in the tournament.
At the Canadian Open that year, Anisimova reached the final, beating Sabalenka along the way. Her performance put her back in the top 50 of the WTA rankings, an improvement of more than 80 slots after she was ranked 132nd.
This year, Anisimova won her first WTA 1000 title in February at the Qatar Open, vaulting her into the top 20.
She also reached the final at the Queen's Club Championships, a WTA 500 event, and as a result was ranked No. 12, her highest seed ever before Wimbledon.
On Thursday, she held off Sabalenka — the No. 1 player in the tournament — to make her first Grand Slam final.
'To be honest, if you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you. Especially not this soon,' Anisimova said after the match. 'It's been a year's turnaround. To be in the final is just indescribable, honestly.'
Reflecting on her journey from when she took a break, Anisimova said Thursday's win proved she made the right decision.
'A lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game,' she said. 'Just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself [has] been incredibly special to me.'
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