The big change that has happened to Amanda Anisimova has been identified after her recent success

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Amanda Anisimova has enjoyed a huge breakthrough year on the WTA Tour this year.

Anisimova made her first breakthrough in 2019, when she reached the semifinals of Roland Garros at just 17 years old.

However, the American has gone through some tough personal battles since then, before Anisimova returned to the WTA Tour at the start of 2025.

She has since come back with a bang and really staked her claim as one of the top players on tour, especially after Anisimova won the China Open.

Nicole Pratt explains the biggest change she has noticed in Amanda Anisimova

A lot of the praise towards Anisimova often relates to her backhand, which is thought to be one of the best on the WTA Tour.

However, that has been a big part of Anisimova’s game for some time, and instead former WTA title winner Nicole Pratt believes her attitude is the biggest difference on her rise up the ranks.

“I think it’s that mental fortitude and belief system she now has,” Pratt said on the Australian Open tennis podcast. “That comes through consistency and winning matches. You just can’t click your fingers and it’s there, I am mentally up and about and ready for every match.

“But within each match, players are challenged. She has been challenged many times in those matches that she won. She is getting through some of these matches in three sets.

“So when she is being challenged she is able to come through that battle and then we are seeing the wins happen. I feel like that has been the biggest change with her. And she is enjoying as much as she can, the lifestyle of travelling and the pressure on a day-to-day basis.”

Ironically, Martina Navratilova actually criticised Anisimova’s attitude recently and claimed it was something that needed to improve.

How do Amanda Anisimova’s results compare from 2024 to 2025?

It is one thing to hear about Anisimova’s impressive 2025 season, but it is another thing to see it in numbers.

After returning to the WTA Tour at the start of 2024 following an eight-month mental health break, Anisimova was able to climb from outside the top 400 to world number 36.

However, she has taken that to a whole other level in 2025, with Anisimova reaching two Grand Slam finals and winning two WTA 1000 titles.

As a result, Anisimova has been rewarded with a career-high ranking and has also qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time.

Supporting Pratt’s claim about Anisimova’s mindset, her record against top 10 players has also drastically improved this year and she has only lost three of her 11 matches against them.

After winning the title in Beijing, Anisimova withdrew from both the Wuhan Open and Ningbo Open, and is now only expecting to play one more tournament at the WTA Finals.