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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Meet Wimbledon finalist and the world No 1's conqueror: Russian-American Amanda Anisimova lost her father in 2017, loves painting and is friends with Emma Raducanu
The rigours of the professional tennis tour are such that few players have time in their life for anything else. But after taking a break from the sport in 2023, Amanda Anisimova discovered another practice she was equally passionate about: painting. 'I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health, and it was something that I did in my free time just to get my mind off of things,' Anisimova said last Friday after her third-round victory over Dalma Galfi. 'Once I was done with my training day or had a day off, it's something I would do. 'I think before that I didn't have any hobbies or interests other than just, like, hanging out with my friends and family, so I wanted to find something that I enjoyed doing on my own. 'I feel like it's just a very good get-away for myself.' While unable to paint while travelling in a bid to manage the extra weight she has to lug from tournament to tournament, Anisimova instead takes in museums to indulge her interest; the Musee d'Orsay in Paris is a favourite. It's rare that so much time in a press conference might be dedicated to off-court pursuits, but as she prepares to play her first Grand Slam final on Wimbledon 's Centre Court on Saturday afternoon, Anisimova has proven that her unique story among her peers on the women's tour is paying dividends. A supremely talented junior who first started playing after attending her sister Maria Anisimova-Egee's tennis lessons as a child, Anisimova's second Grand Slam semi-final came 18 majors after her first. The New Jersey-born Russian-American was just 17 when she made the last four at the French Open in 2019, but she had already spent three years as a professional, toiling mostly on the third-tier ITF circuit. Miraculously, she made it through the draw without dropping a set before her run-in with Roland-Garros' eventual champion Ash Barty. Considering her route included the defending champion Simona Halep, and then-No 11 seed Aryna Sabalenka, Anisimova appeared to have arrived on tennis' biggest stage in a major way. But just as her star was rising, unimaginable tragedy struck months later. Anisimova's father Konstantin died of a heart attack at 52 years old. Taking up her first seeding at her home slam, the US Open, a week later was postponed, and the teenager played only two more tournaments that season. 'This is obviously the hardest thing I've had to go through and the hardest thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't really talk about it with anyone,' Anisimova told the New York Times less than a year later. 'The only thing that has helped me is just playing tennis and being on the court. 'That's what makes me happy, and I know it would make him happy, so that's the way it is.' Konstantin, and Anisimova's mother Olga, were both powerful forces for the player in her early career, with Konstantin part of her coaching set-up until only a little while before his passing. Although Anisimova pulled out of tournaments to try and prioritise the grieving process, the interview revealed that she had opted to throw herself into tennis as a way of dealing with the tragedy, and in a bid to feel closer to him. 'It never goes away,' Anisimova added in reference to her grief. 'But you can't change it, and you have to go back to life.' Saying things and doing them are different, however, and Anisimova's attempts to throw herself into her career were stymied by two major forces out of her control. The Covid-19 pandemic put paid to plans to utilise her world No 21 ranking to make deep runs at the Slams, and persistent injury concerns would set her back further. While impressive results dotted her 2021 and 2022 seasons, including the dispatching of defending champion Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open in the latter year, Anisimova would move up and down rankings within the top 50, but seemed well off her early potential. In 2023, the dam burst, and Anisimova made a seismic decision few players have the confidence - or the foresight - to make. On the heels of a first-round defeat at the Madrid Open, the 21-year-old announced that she would be taking a break from tennis. With no plans to return. 'I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,' Anisimova shared in an Instagram statement. '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.' Tennis is an almost year-round sport, and with the addition of sponsorship dates and exhibition matches, many players will have sympathised with Anisimova's decision. But the choice was a bold one, and her future unclear. Instead, Anisimova turned inwards. Taking up painting, she found herself particularly inspired by Vincent van Gogh, creating colourful abstracts and selling them for charity. She also read, listened to music, and reconnected with the friends and family the tennis tour left scant room for. One thing she didn't do was pick up a racquet. 'I learned a lot about myself, my interests off the court, and just taking some time to breathe and live a normal life for a bit,' Anisimova told BBC Sport this week. 'What I've learned is to listen honestly to yourself, to your intuition, and what your body is telling you.' Her return in 2024, when her motivation and desire to step onto a tennis court had come back, started with a bang, as she defeated bold-faced names like Wimbledon quarter-final opponent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Liudmila Samsonova, and Paula Badosa to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open. But while able to use her protected ranking at some tournaments, just one year out from reaching the final in SW19, Anisimova was defeated in qualifying and failed to make the main draw. Recurring injuries to her hip and back continued to make her first year back on tour a challenge, and although a run to the final at the Canadian Open helped her rocket back into the top 50, returning to the circuit was more about getting used to the demands of the tour than winning trophies. By early 2025 however, that drought had been broken too. Anisimova claimed her first WTA 1000 title in Qatar, and made the final at Queen's, the first of her career on grass. Getting to grips with the mental side of the sport has accounted for part of her rise, but dealing with physical concerns has helped too. Anisimova brought physiotherapist Shadi Soleymani into her team in March to reshape her body and help her to move past the constant injury concerns that have plagued her for most of her professional career. Soleymani has restructured her vegan diet, introducing protein and helping her cut a heavy caffeine habit, and used her background in biomechanics to retrain the way Ansimova, who stands at nearly 6ft, moves on court. Soleymani is also an important female member of Anisimova's set-up, with the physio sharing in an interview with the Athletic this week that she's 'like a mom' to the player when called upon. Anisimova's circle is important to her. Her closest friend on the tour is fellow player Priscilla Hon, but the 23-year-old is close to other stars, such as Emma Raducanu, as well. Anisimova even went as far as shouting out Hon's attendance at her second Grand Slam semi-final on Thursday in her on-court interview, saying that alongside her 'beautiful family', her 'best friend' was there. Having close friends on the tour has been a major boost for Anisimova, who named fellow player Priscilla Hon her 'best friend' 'But I don't see her,' Anisimova teased. 'You better be there!' Hon was there, as well as a player box stuffed with her biggest supporters: her agent Ben Draper - brother of British No 1 Jack - her sister and her husband, his family, and her nephew Jaxon, who accompanied her for her post-match interview after she bypassed Pavlyuchenkova a round earlier. Anisimova is thought to be single, having been last linked to Australian model and reality star Tyler Roos. Roos is the son of Australian Football League legend Paul Roos, and a former Australian Football player himself, and sent Anisimova a sweet message of support ahead of the 2020 Australian Open, but Anisimova has kept her private life just that in the years since. There is a sense that the presence of family has been a boost for Anisimova and an important distraction from the pressures of moving through the main draw, with the star giving Jaxon's fifth birthday on Thursday equal billing with her semi-final against Sabalenka. A distraction may have been necessary. Sabalenka has been in strong grass-court form this season, the No 1 seed scything through the competition in SW19 with a view to making her first final at the Grand Slam. As one of the most consistent performers on either the ATP or WTA tour, there seemed to be little stopping her from doing so. But Anisimova has a strong record against the three-time Grand Slam champion, having beaten her four times to Sabalenka's three before they stepped on to Centre Court. She is also one of the few on women's circuit who can match the 27-year-old for power, and bullied her opponent on serve. Blessed with an imperious backhand, Anisimova battled through big-match nerves to secure the tight three-set win. A naturally emotional player whose frustrations can be visible to spectators via eye rolls, heaved shoulders, and even, against Pavlyuchenkova, a dramatic drop to her knees after being broken, it was Sabalenka who blinked first and found herself frustrated by the younger player. Sabalenka shared that Anisimova had 'p****d her off' after she refused to apologise for a lucky ball striking the net cord - but who could blame her if the reward is a place in the Wimbledon final? Sabalenka, a ruthless competitor, more than met her match. In SW19, Anisimova is surrounded by her family - including her nephew Jaxon, whose birthday she celebrated on Thursday The player frustrated world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka over three knife's-edge sets that afternoon She will now look to break Iga Swiatek's flawless run in Grand Slam finals on Saturday But there's another peerless professional waiting for her in the final. Iga Swiatek may be having an unprecedented run on grass, but for her, a baking-hot Wimbledon is playing like her beloved Roland-Garros red clay. Swiatek won the girl's title at the Championships in 2018, another sticky summer, and despite having failed to win a title since her French Open win in 2024, she has never lost any of her five Grand Slam finals. The pairing is a tantalising one - Swiatek and Anisimova have never met on any surface as adults, with a 2016 Junior Fed Cup meeting the only fodder for head-to-head analysts. For Anisimova however, there is triumph already in reaching the final. 'It's been an incredible year for me,' she said after beating Sabalenka. 'To be in the Wimbledon final, I mean, I'm still trying to process it, in a way.' But how would the run look if she were to paint how she felt about it, the finalist was asked. 'I don't know,' Ansimova said. 'I typically do abstract, so it would be hard. A lot of green and white. So maybe it's some inspiration for me when I get back to make a piece.'
Reuters
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Champagne corks can't shake Anisimova's grasscourt groove
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - With a brushstroke off the court and a backhand to die for on it, Amanda Anisimova is quietly crafting something special on the lawns of SW19. The American, once a teenage prodigy and now an increasingly self-assured artist on and off the court, withstood a barrage — from Hungarian Dalma Galfi and a court-side champagne cork chorus — to advance to the Wimbledon fourth round on Friday, winning 6-3 5-7 6-3 in a match full of noise and nuance. 'I mean, it kept happening,' she said smiling of the endless cork-popping. 'At some point I was, like, can everybody just do it on the changeover?' But the distractions barely dented the 13th seed's rhythm — nor did they take the shine off what is becoming a quietly compelling grass-court campaign. Still only 23, Anisimova, who next faces Czech Linda Noskova, is the proud owner of one of the most admired backhands in tennis — an elegant stroke that has earned her a cult following. She's aware, but not overwhelmed. 'Yeah, I've heard that. I think it's one of my best shots ... but I'm working on the rest too,' she added smiling, citing her serve and forehand as works-in-progress. Off the court, Anisimova has swapped obsession for perspective. Once weighed down by the crushing goals of youth — Grand Slams, No.1 rankings, tennis immortality — she now paints. "I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health," she said. "I wanted to find something that I enjoyed doing on my own. I feel like it's just a very good get-away for myself." Anisimova does not travel with her art supplies — yet. "I have to bring so many tennis things, and I like to bring a lot of clothes just in case, so my suitcases are really full," she added, laughing. "I spend, like, thousands of dollars on extra weight," she said, "and I don't have any more shoulders to carry for the art supplies. Yeah, for sure when I'm back and I get stints of a break, then I'll come back to it." And Wimbledon? The grass, the glamour, the pressure? She's embracing it. 'I feel the opportunity is there,' she said. 'At the end of the day, I keep reminding myself to just focus on the present, just take it one match at a time. "This morning I was just telling myself that and, yeah, to just enjoy the moment, trust my game. I try and focus on what I can control and just zoom out of everything else." Artistry, after all, requires a certain calm amid the chaos - even when the corks are flying.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Anisimova vows to hit practice courts after reaching last 16
LONDON :American Amanda Anisimova became the first American through to the last-16 of this year's Wimbledon with a 6-3 5-7 6-3 defeat of Hungary's Dalma Galfi on Friday. Not that the 13th seed was too impressed by her Independence Day display on a sunny Court Three. "It was an incredibly tough match but I kept fighting," the 23-year-old, one of five American women to reach the third round, said on court. "I think the quality wasn't that great today but I will hit the practice courts tomorrow." Anisimova, a quarter-finalist in 2022, secured the decisive break of serve in the first set with a stunning lob to lead 5-3. She had chances near the end of the second set too but was pegged back as 110th-ranked Galfi dug deep to break serve at 5-6 and set up a decider. Anisimova let out a big scream as she broke serve early in the third set with a wrong-footing forehand and an even louder one when she saved a break point when leading 3-2. Another break of serve put Anisimova in complete control but at 5-2 she double-faulted on break point down to give Galfi hope. But it did not prove costly for the American who sealed the win a game later to move through.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wimbledon heat like nowhere else, says defeated Dart
By James Reid at Wimbledon Harriet Dart admitted the British heat was like nothing she'd experienced after defeat on a sizzling first day at Wimbledon. Dart was beaten 3-6 6-3 7-5 by Dalma Galfi in a topsy-turvy battle that lasted over two hours on Court 17. Advertisement The British wild card came from behind to take the first set but then saw control of the contest slip away as the Hungarian fought back amidst temperatures of over 30 degrees celsius in south-west London. The deciding set took just shy of an hour as the two players sweated it out, with Dart eventually tasting defeat to end her singles run at the first hurdle. And the Hampstead player admitted she had never played in such sweltering conditions as those at her home Slam. 'It was challenging but it's the same for everyone,' she said. 'I don't think I've played a match where it was this hot on grass. Advertisement 'We're not very well equipped in this country to deal with it, so it becomes more of a shock. I've played in hotter places but here it's a shock because even when you go inside it's still pretty warm, so you can't escape it. 'It was difficult with half the sun on the court and half of it in shade. I was slow to adapt to seeing the ball but she served really well, particularly in big moments.' Dart made a memorable run to the third-round last year, defeating compatriot Katie Boulter in an absorbing battle of the Brits en route. But the 28-year-old insisted there was no lingering memories of her previous Wimbledon experiences as she was simply left frustrated with letting a strong position slip away from her this time around. Advertisement 'I'm disappointed,' she added. 'I felt like I was in a winning position but she also played some good tennis so credit to her. Where it needed to be done, she was able to get over the finish line. 'Every tournament is new so I don't try to think about what I've done previously. You can take confidence from wins in the past but it's a new tournament with different opponents. It's always going to be tough, whoever you play.' Dart's time in SW19 is not quite over, with the Londoner set to team up with Maia Lumsden in the women's doubles. They will take on McCartney Kessler and Clara Tauson in their opening match, before a potential meeting with top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova should they progress. For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
