Amanda Anisimova Opens Up About Mental Health Break After Reaching Wimbledon Semifinals for 1st Time

Amanda Anisimova discussed the impact of tennis on players’ lifestyles after knocking out Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 7-6(9) on Tuesday (July 8). She has now booked a spot in the semifinals of Wimbledon for the first time in her career.

Anisimova turned pro in 2016 and about seven years later, she decided to take a break, as she was dealing with mental health issues and burnout, about which tennis players often complain because of the 11-month calendar. She returned to the sport in 2024. The World No.12 thinks that teams of players have now started to see the importance of having fun on and off the court. She told ESPN:

I feel like just me being honest and vulnerable about a topic that might be a bit stigmatized in a way, I think that was super important…and for other people to have a different outlook or perspective on, you can struggle with your mental health. It’s just as important as your physical health. Especially when it comes to sports and pursuing this as a career. The lifestyle can be different if you don’t find that right balance.

Anisimova has now become a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist as before Wimbledon, she had played in the last four of the 2019 French Open, which she lost to eventual winner Ash Barty. In the Majors before Wimbledon this year, the 23-year-old was defeated in the second round of the Australian Open by 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. At the French Open then, Anisimova couldn’t go past eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round.

Anisimova is the winner of three singles titles, one of which she lifted this year by beating Jelena Ostapenko in the Qatar Open. Before starting her campaign at Wimbledon, Anisimova played two grass-court events.

She reached the final of the Queen’s Club Championships but couldn’t cross the final hurdle in the form of Tatjana Maria. Then in Berlin, Liudmila Samsonova knocked her out in the quarterfinals.

Amanda Anisimova to play Aryna Sabalenka next

Aryna Sabalenka is wary of the Amanda Anisimova threat because she very well remembers the matches she played against her. Eight times they have met and the wins that the Belarusian ace secured are just three.