© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Amanda Anisimova says the tennis calendar and life on the Tour “can be very draining and isolating,” which negatively impacts a player’s physical and mental well-being and ultimately leads to burnout.
Anisimova, 22, announced in early May that she decided to indefinitely step away from pro tennis. At the time, the American cited burnout and mental health concerns as the reasons for her break from tennis.
After enjoying a very successful junior career, Anisimova also achieved success early in her career as she was just 17 when she reached the French Open semifinal in 2019. That same year, Anisimova also reached a career-high ranking of No. 21 in the world.
Considering how successful Anisimova was as a junior and that she made a Grand Slam semifinal at 17, the expectations and pressure on the American increased. But after a strong start to her career, Anisimova didn’t really manage to elevate her game and career to another level.
Then around the summer of 2022, everything was starting to become too overwhelming for Anisimova.
“You lose in a tournament and then you have to buy tickets and pack all your stuff and fly the next day and you’re so exhausted from your match and upset. It’s always like that, it’s a constant cycle. It can be very draining and isolating. I need to keep that in mind and make sure that I’m taking breaks and taking a rest day and resetting before the next one,” Anisimova told WTA Insider, when asked why life on the Tour can become overwhelming for players.
Anisimova ready to play again
After taking a mental health break from tennis, Anisimova focused on some other non-tennis things. During her time away from tennis, Anisimova enjoyed quality time with friends, did some art, and also did a semester at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Now, Anisimova is in a much better place mentally and she is ready to play again. After not playing any tournaments since April, Anisimova is officially starting her comeback in the first week of 2024 in Auckland.
When Anisimova takes to the court in Auckland, she will be making her third appearance at the tournament. Previously, Anisimova was an Auckland quarterfinalist in 2019 before making the Auckland semifinal in 2020.
This year, Anisimova will start her Auckland campaign by playing against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
