"Make the right decisions and not try and say yes to everything, I think that's a big killer": Amanda Anisimova navigates burnout to become top five force

From a teen prodigy to ditching the sport in 2023 amid burnout, Amanda Anisimova has revived herself in 2025 to become a two-time Grand Slam finalist, multiple WTA 1000 winner and a top five star at her first WTA Finals at the age of 24.

But Anisimova has had a long and arduous road from the 17-year-old who reached the French Open semi-finals to the point that she was potentially going to follow an academic route and ditch tennis entirely until she suddenly returned at the turn of last year. While she showed glimmers last season, she carefully managed her schedule as she even does now and this year saw the rise again.

It has been her mental approach that has given her clarity and has seen her ascend to World No.4 in what has been dubbed by many as the comeback of the year in tennis no matter what happens at the year end finals. “I would say the mindset that I go into tournaments and matches with. I think that’s been the most important thing for me this year,” the 24-year-old said as per The Guardian.

“It helps, obviously, when I’m done with the tournament, being able to look back and tell myself I’ve done everything I can. And I’m proud of the way I competed and carried myself on the court. And that’s definitely something that I’ve tried to do all year round.”

But this mental fortitude also came from the fact that Anisimova reached her crescendo, a Wimbledon final she was heavily favoured in by some mainly due to her devastating backhand and her performances throughout the SW19 fortnight. But it turned into disaster as she was thrashed 6-0, 6-0 by Iga Swiatek who herself was an unproven force on the surface since juniors.

She dusted herself off though after fighting off tears and regrouped albeit losing another Grand Slam final, she soon won Beijing even after losing to Sabalenka at the US Open after crushing Swiatek also en route at Flushing Meadows.

“Of course, it wasn’t easy,” she said. "I had to really work on myself mentally and just put things in perspective and sit down with myself and think about how I’m going to bounce back or how I’m going to go into the next few tournaments, especially if I have to face her [Swiatek] again. But I think everything kind of came naturally to me. I didn’t really overthink anything. Just kind of like it’s a new tournament, it’s a new day and a new match. That’s how I went about it, really.”

Losing her father Konstantin one week shy of turning 18, Anisimova has gone through a lot for someone yet to reach her 25th birthday but it has given her that mental approach that no matter what she's going through, she has been through worse.

But not only that, Anisimova also navigated being a teenage prodigy and one that was highly touted so has gone through loss, hype and turned full circle something that either makes or breaks a player. She hopes that others look at her experience and not make the same mistakes.

“Everything I’ve experienced in my life. I think having gone through certain situations and things and being able to have healed myself from that in a way and really work on myself. I think that’s where I get that kind of mentality. And I’m surrounded by very strong women as well. So, I think it’s a combination of things.”

“When you do so well at a young age, there’s obviously a lot of pressure and expectations,” she says. “And a lot of new things that you’ve never experienced before. And it’s a lot for a young kid who’s not developed fully, like not even close to fully. So it’s definitely a lot.

“And I would say that the younger girls on tour right now are doing a great job of balancing and managing that. I think the one thing that I would say that’s important is the people you surround yourself with and the guidance and the advice.

“I think it’s really important to let girls know, or boys, to make the right decisions for yourself and listen to yourself and not try and say yes to everything and feel like you have to do certain things.

“I think that’s a big killer in certain ways, is just feeling like you have to do certain things and that can really lead to burnout. So that’s definitely something that I would have done differently.”

But being her authentic self as well has also lended Anisimova a lot of admirers who are following along her journey not only through her incredible brand of tennis but as a person. Amid the barrage of social media and societal expectations, Anisimova has become an ambassador for not being ok and taking time away. A lesson for all.

“I think me, just being myself this year, every kind of situation I’ve been in or where I’ve had to speak freely, and I really just try and be as authentic as I can. I think that really crossed over to a lot of people and it’s really shown you can be vulnerable and that’s OK. And I think that’s kind of been the most important thing for me this year is to just really be myself and speak honestly and freely. And that’s just what I try and do.”