Amanda Anisimova is the WTA World #6 and one of American tennis’s most compelling comeback stories, a player born in New Jersey to Russian immigrant parents who announced herself to the world at Roland Garros 2019 as a 17-year-old by knocking out Simona Halep in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals. That run, stunning in its composure and ball-striking quality, suggested a generational talent was arriving. The years that followed were harder than anyone expected.
The difficulty was not technical. Anisimova’s game has always been built on clean, powerful ball-striking from both wings, with a forehand that generates exceptional pace and a backhand that holds up under pressure. She moves well for her height and competes with genuine aggression, looking to take time away from opponents by striking the ball early. On her best days, her flat, penetrating shots cut through defenses in a way that few players on tour can match. The blueprint was always elite. What was harder was everything else.
Anisimova stepped away from the tour in May 2023 citing mental health reasons. Her father and longtime coach, Konstantin Anisimov, had died suddenly in 2019, shortly after that Roland Garros breakthrough, a loss that reshaped her relationship with tennis and with competition. Her return to the tour was gradual, patient, and ultimately successful. She came back not as a diminished version of the teenager who had thrilled Paris but as a more settled, self-aware player with a clearer sense of why she plays.
Her ranking climb back into the top ten reflects consistent results across surfaces. She remains most dangerous on hard courts and clay, where her flat game is hardest to handle, though her Wimbledon results have steadily improved as she has added more margin to her grass-court patterns. The mental health conversation she opened by speaking publicly about her break has been cited by other players as giving them permission to prioritize their own wellbeing. That contribution exists entirely apart from her results.
Anisimova will compete at the 2026 Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Check United States time for match schedules in her home timezone.