A smile to light up any room stretched across the face of Amanda Anisimova on Sunday as she reached the peak of her young career with victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the Qatar Open Final.
It’s the first time that Anisimova has claimed success at a WTA 1000 event and ends years of heartache and hurt away from the tennis court, with her return to form making a remarkably heartwarming story.
In 2019 things appeared rosey. She was one of the world’s most promising young talents but the tragic and sudden passing of her father saw her form naturally stutter somewhat.
Anisimova continued to try and further her career, reaching the quarter-final of Wimbledon in 2023 but in early 2024 she announced an indefinite break from tennis to focus her mind and mental health.
Now, the talented player is back with a vengeance. Anismova received praise from Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur after defeating Ostapenko to enjoy her finest day as a professional player.
- READ MORE: Anisimova equals Serena Williams record
What Simona Halep said about Amanda Anisimova in 2019
Before the heartache and the tragedy, Anisimova went on an amazing run at the French Open in 2019. She knocked out Harmony Tan who famously conquered Serena Williams at Wimbledon, before beating Aryna Sabalenka and then Halep in the quarter-final.
At the time the Romanian player was the world’s number three and her defeat to Anisimova came as a huge shock in the tennis world, with all eyes on the American at that point.
Halep was quizzed on whether or not she could see Anisimova winning Grand Slam titles, either at Roland Garros in 2019, or in the future should she carry on on an upward trajectory.
She told her press conference: “Yeah, I think so. Today I felt how she’s playing because before, I never played against her. I couldn’t say something more.
“But I think she has a chance and she will be in the top soon, because she has, you know, the game. She sees the game, has the attitude, good attitude, so I think she’s a great player.”
Anisimova can cause trouble at big tournaments in 2025
The 23-year-old still has bags of time on her side to make waves in professional tennis and it once again showcases that tennis is most certainly on the up in the United States.
Anisimova has jumped to the world number 18 in the rankings after her third career title and her eyes will now be on enjoying a very strong 2025 and going even higher up that list.
The really exciting thing about Anisimova at this stage is that she knows how to mix it against the big players. Furthermore, she’s already been deep in two Grand Slams and that should put her in good shape.
It’s really great to Anisimova back on a tennis court and back with a smile on her face. After winning the Qatar Open perhaps she will be looking to go all the way at a major event and prove Halep right once and for all.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
