“I almost restart my career in a way”: Amanda Anisimova reflects on how stepping away changed everything

Undoubtedly, one of the standout players of the 2025 WTA season was Amanda Anisimova, who won two WTA 1000 titles in Doha and Beijing, reached consecutive Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, and climbed to her career-high ranking of World No. 4 by the end of the season.

The 24-year-old completed a remarkable ascent since her return to the courts. Recall that back in 2022, she opted to take a break from her career following several injuries, irregular results, and especially due to mental health issues.

Her return was in 2024—when the player was even outside the Top-400—and she slowly managed to rebuild her ranking and become a competitive player at the highest level again. She reached her first WTA 1000 final in Canada 2024 (losing to Pegula), which marked her definitive leap into the Top-40.

However, she still needed to take a step forward for things to truly click in 2025. Her title in Doha at the start of the year was the turning point for the 24-year-old American, who became a major contender by mid-year after delivering the shock upset at Wimbledon by eliminating the World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the semifinals.

Although Anisimova lost in the final to Iga Swiatek, she had a chance for revenge two months later on home soil in New York. This time, she eliminated Swiatek on her way to the US Open final, and although she couldn't lift the title (defeated by Sabalenka), she managed to secure a spot in the Top-4 and cement her name as one of the favorites to become a future Grand Slam winner. “I love the US open, the energy is unmatched, so that was an incredible experience,” she said.

In a recent interview with ABC News, Anisimova spoke about the high level she has maintained since her return to the courts—after nearly a year away from the Tour—and how she managed to become one of the Tour's leading protagonists.

“The last few years have been just, honestly so special, just to see how far it come, to take my break and then i feel like i almost restart my career in a way,” Anisimova commented. “I’ve just been growing into the person that i’m today and i feel like i’ve been really been able to be more myself, and more free after the break that i took, and that’s really help me to be more authentic.”

The American recently appeared among the highest-paid female athletes in the world—at No. 12 on the Forbes ranking, which included 10 tennis players in the Top-15 highest-paid female athletes in 2025. Anisimova earned $7.3 million in on-court prize money and another $2.5 million outside the court.

According to her comments in the interview, part of this is explained by the growing interest spectators have shown in women's sports. “I feel like, especially with basketball and tennis and golf, a lot more people are having a more profound appreciation for women in sports,” she stated.

“We do work so hard and we have incredible matches like the US Open and Wimbledon alone, we've had so many incredible matches to watch. And I think it deserves the attention it's getting and I think there's a lot of room for more improvement on that aspect and I think more people should be watching women's sports. Because we also tell a story.”