The start of the 2024 season, with the Australian Open as the main event, marked the return to the circuit of several players who for different reasons had momentarily hung up their rackets. Among them, Amanda Anisimova, Nadia Podoroska's rival at the Oceanic Grand Slam. The 22-year-old American, who had announced in May 2023 an indefinite break (which ended up being just over a year) to recover from her mental health problems, is playing in Melbourne the first "major" since her return. And after beating the Russian Liudmila Samsonova in her debut, she will now go for the pass to the third round against the Rosario native.
"I feel so much fresher. I'm enjoying training and every minute on the court. Even when I'm losing, I enjoy the challenge. And I'm happy. I was very exhausted and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Being able to reset was very nice and very good for me," he said after his debut in the tournament.
While away from the circuit, Anisimova focused on advancing her university studies and found in art an escape and a way to lend a hand to causes that are important to her.
The New Jersey native had a great career as a junior, reaching the second step of the ITF ranking in that category and was crowned champion at the US Open in 2017. And she burst onto the professional circuit in 2019, when at just 17 years old and months after winning her first title, in Bogota, she reached the semifinals of Roland Garros, after surprising Romanian Simona Halep, the defending champion, in the quarterfinals. She was the youngest player to break into the top four at a Grand Slam since 2006.
After his time in Paris, expectations for his future grew and many began to point out his enormous potential. Before the end of that season, the American was on the verge of breaking into the top 20 – she reached a career-high 21st place in October – and suffered a huge blow. Konstantin, his father and coach, died of cardiac arrest at the age of 52.
"Walking away made me realize how much work, sweat, tears and pain I experienced for this sport," Anisimova said. AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
"It's the hardest thing I've ever experienced. The only thing that's helping me is playing tennis. That's what makes me happy, and I know it would make him happy," she told The New York Times in mid-2020, shortly before reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
But the pressures and demands of the circuit burned his head and ended up transforming the sport he loved so much into an ordeal.
"I've been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022. Today, being in tournaments is unbearable. Right now, my priority is my mental wellbeing and taking a break for some time," she wrote in a post on her social media in May 2023, after being eliminated in the first round of the WTA 1000 in Madrid.
A few weeks later, he commented, "Stepping away from the circuit made me realize how much work, sweat, tears and pain I experienced for this sport."
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Anisimova went four months without touching a racquet. During that time, she attended a semester at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, where she continued her studies for a bachelor's degree in business with a minor in psychology, which she began online in 2020 and hopes to complete remotely at Indiana University in 2025.
In addition, she volunteered, spent a lot of time with her family and friends, traveled and saw new places, and celebrated her first birthday away from a tennis court for the first time in a long time. And he began to paint, a hobby that ended up becoming a special project, which he hopes to continue.
"I started when I wasn't very well mentally. I always loved art, so I bought canvases and paint and thought I'd give it a try for fun. Then it became something I did every week and it stayed that way. I needed to find things that I would like to do on my own, apart from spending time with people. It was a good mental break to get away from the phone and everything for a few hours. I enjoyed it a lot," she told the WTA a few months ago.
Anisimova and her paintings. "I started when I wasn't very well mentally," he said. Photo: Instagram @amandaanisimova
He added, "I wanted to do something bigger than just sharing it on social media or giving it to friends. So I created a website to sell my paintings and help some charities that I care a lot about. It was a nice feeling to know that I was doing something while away from tennis, which was a big part of my identity. I wanted to see what made me feel good as a person."
His paintings were even exhibited in a gallery in New York. And a portion of the proceeds from the sales went to organizations working for mental health and against child abuse and hunger in the world.
On her website "Art for Hope" (www.for-a-cause.com), Anisimova wrote, "I believe that everyone deserves to have access to resources and support, whatever their background or circumstances. (...) Mental health is a crucial component of overall well-being. However, it is often stigmatized or overlooked."
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"In my spare time, I'm going to keep painting. I'm looking forward to being able to get back to that because I have some things in mind that I want to put into art when I get back home, so I can post more paintings on the page, because they're sold out," he said in Melbourne.
After enjoying this new life for several months, Anisimova picked up a racquet again in September and in the first week of January, she played an official tournament again. It was in Auckland, where she beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her debut and then fell to fifth seed Marie Bouskova.
"My plan was to start training in September. By the time that month rolled around, I felt good and ready to go. I started and realized I was enjoying it. And then I decided to continue," he said.
"Everything was there, it was like I hadn't really stopped training. I was very happy to see that my shots and my game were still there. But I had to get in shape, because I'm human and obviously that part disappears and you have to build it again," she added. "The hardest thing was finding a good balance between when to push harder and when to be cautious to avoid injury. I really wanted to come to Australia, but also to feel that I was healthy and that I could compete."
WELCOME BACK AMANDA ANISIMOVA!! #AO24 pic.twitter.com/2CGqUTJx4s
— Rio (@impetigorx) January 14, 2024
Relegated to 442nd in the rankings (she was 46th when she stopped), she entered the Australian Open with a protected ranking and will now clash with Podoroska for a place in the third round. But beyond her chances of continuing to advance in the Oceanic "big" draw, where she reached the fourth round in 2019 and 2022, Anisimova knows that today the most important thing happens elsewhere.
"It was nice to take a break from the chaotic lifestyle of a tennis player and re-establish myself as a human being. I regained a lot of energy and happiness. I slowed down my life and that was something I really needed. I've grown and matured a lot in the last year and I know how I want to prepare, train and approach my career," he said.
She said: "I feel really blessed to be able to play a Grand Slam again, especially the Australian Open, it's like my second home, after the US Open. I'm so excited to be back and happy with the win on debut. Whatever happens in the next few rounds, win or lose, I'm going to enjoy it."