Amanda Anisimova’s rise back into tennis prominence has attracted plenty of praise, but few have captured the scale of her transformation quite like Andy Roddick. The former World No. 1 used a recent episode of his ‘Served’ podcast to spotlight not just her talent, but the relentless work that has carried her to a new competitive tier.
In his view, Anisimova’s 2025 breakthrough is evidence of a player who rebuilt herself from the ground up and now carries a mindset suited for championship stages.
Personal Trials Shaped Amanda Anisimova’s Path Back to the Top
Anisimova’s resurgence carries a more profound meaning because of everything that preceded it. Once a teenage prodigy who surged into the 2019 French Open semifinals at just 17, she looked destined for long-term success. Her trajectory shifted dramatically when her father and coach, Konstantin Anisimov, died from a sudden heart attack at age 52 shortly before the 2019 US Open.
She withdrew from the major while coping with profound grief that continued to seep into her tennis life. By April 2023, the emotional weight pushed her to take an open-ended break from the sport to prioritize her mental health.
Her time away sparked skepticism in certain corners of the tennis world, and when she returned in early 2024, she was ranked outside the WTA top 400.
Roddick highlighted how that return was anything but a quick turnaround. He pointed out the distinction between producing isolated breakthroughs and sustaining elite-level consistency, a difference he believes defines Anisimova’s transformation.
“I think there’s a difference between making a run at a massive tournament or having some big results and being four in the world. That’s different. That’s winning a lot more matches than just having a couple of big results. The space between 10 and four is very different,” Roddick said on the podcast.
He added that her ambition now carries weight because her performance supports it. “When Amanda Anisimova says this, we have had people who have made big runs in Majors and had a big year. When she’s like, ‘I want to win a Major,’ we’re going, ‘Yeah, you do.’ Totally.”
Roddick explained that the belief wasn’t always that straightforward. “Everyone wants to win a Major. Everyone says, ‘I want to win a Major.’ When she says it, we’re going… Rewind to a year ago. She says, ‘I want to win a Major.'”
“We’re going, ‘Yeah, a lot of upside, but there’s so much work to do. There’s so much space between where you’re at and legitimately being a contender every week that you enter a tournament.’ Present day, she’s a contender every week she plays.”
How Did Anisimova’s 2025 Season Validate Andy Roddick’s Assessment?
His commentary aligns with a season in which Anisimova won two WTA 1000 titles in Doha and Beijing and reached two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. Her consistency throughout the year lifted her to a career-high ranking of World No. 4.
She finished the season with a strong 47-18 win-loss record and earned over $7.26 million in prize money. Along the way, she achieved milestones such as her first WTA 1000 trophies, multiple Top 5 wins, and a run to the WTA Finals, firmly establishing herself as one of the elite players on tour.
