After years of heartbreaking setbacks, American tennis star Amanda Anisimova has re-emerged on the sport’s biggest stage. The 23-year-old recently booked her place in the Wimbledon semifinals after a 6-1, 7-6(9) win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Amanda Anisimova’s Remarkable Comeback
The Florida-born athlete burst onto the international scene as a teenager, making headlines with a semifinal run at the 2019 French Open. However, just as she was picking up momentum, tragedy struck. That year, her father and longtime coach, Konstantin Anisimov, died suddenly of a heart attack, only days before the US Open.
Anisimova withdrew from the tournament and what followed was a tumultuous few years filled with emotional challenges, fluctuating form, and increasing pressure, all of which led to her decision in 2023 to step away from professional tennis indefinitely to focus on her mental health.
The American eventually returned to action in early 2024, by when, she was out of the top 400 of the ATP rankings. Since then, she’s slowly rebuilt her ranking and form. By February 2025, she had not only climbed back into the top 20 but also captured her first WTA 1000 title in Doha. Fast forward a few months, and Anisimova has another Grand Slam semifinal appearance to her name.
Amanda Anisimova made the Roland-Garros semis at 17. She was the next big thing.
But two years ago, she checked out of tennis to prioritize her mental health, citing burnout at 21.
Now 23, she’s back in a Grand Slam semi at Wimbledon.
What a journey! 💚 pic.twitter.com/e7PQks7sw6
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 8, 2025
A Look at Anisimova’s Momentum Heading into the Wimbledon Semifinal
At this year’s Wimbledon, Anisimova, seeded 13th, dispatched Yulia Putintseva, Renata Zarazúa, Dalma Gálfi, Linda Nosková, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, securing her first semifinal appearance at the grass-court Major. She now faces World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a rematch of their 2025 French Open fourth-round match, where the Belarusian won in straight sets.
“It’s going to be another super tough match,” Anisimova acknowledged in an interview. “I know she’s going to be playing some amazing tennis. I mean, there’s nobody better that I can play other than her.”
“I’m really looking forward to the experience. I mean, I’m going to be playing against a No. 1 in a semifinal of Wimbledon.”
This will be their ninth meeting on the WTA Tour, with the American holding a better head-to-head record, 5-3. The winner of this match will face either Belinda Bencic or eighth seed Iga Świątek in the final.
MORE: Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova Wimbledon 2025 Preview — Head–to–Head and Prediction
