Anisimova: "My biggest change this year was the mentality with which I approach the tournaments"
And that has been reflected in her ranking, moving from the top40 to the top5. The American is aiming to give herself the final gift in an impeccable 2025 this week in Riyadh.
I believe there will be no doubt at the end of this season when choosing who has been the most improved player of the year. Amanda Anisimova, current world No. 4 and double Grand Slam finalist, is the answer they are looking for. You can find her this week competing in the WTA Finals 2025.
It is the reward for a calendar filled with unforgettable moments. Some were magical, like the two WTA 1000 titles won in Doha and Beijing. Others were more painful, like the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. The point is that Amanda Anisimova has made a tremendous leap within the locker room, both in terms of tennis level and credibility, something that had faded in recent times. Competing this week at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the American reflected on her evolution in an interview with The Guardian that we wanted to highlight.
“I believe the biggest change has been the mindset with which I go to tournaments, with how I approach matches. This has been the most important change for me this season,” emphasizes the woman who started the year ranked #36. “The journey I have taken has helped a lot, by the time this tournament ends, I will be able to look back and remind myself of everything I have achieved. I am very proud of how I competed and conducted myself on the court; this is something I have tried to fulfill consistently throughout the season,” acknowledges the 24-year-old.
Interestingly, the Wimbledon final represented the sweetest and, 57 minutes later, the cruelest moment of her career. “Of course, it was not easy; I had to work on myself for a while, especially mentally,” she recalls about that match lost by a double 6-0. “I had to put things into perspective and sit down to think about how I was going to recover from it, how I was going to face the next tournaments, especially if I had to face Iga (Swiatek) again. In the end, everything came naturally; I really did not think too much about anything. I thought that each week would bring a new tournament, a new day, and a new match. That's how I managed to assimilate everything during the summer,” reinforced by the confidence gained from also reaching the final round of the US Open.
“When things go well at a young age, obviously there is a lot of pressure and many expectations, many new things that you have not experienced before,” adds the American, a professional since she turned 15. "There are too many things for a little girl who is not even fully developed, not even close to being fully aware of things. There are too many things, but now I believe that the young girls on the tour are doing a great job balancing and managing all of this. The most important thing is the people you surround yourself with, listening to their advice, and following their guidance,” affirms one of those examples that help to trust in the passage of time.
Anisimova explains her biggest career success
A Roland Garros semifinal at 17 years old, the loss of her father just a few months later, the inability to explore her best version, or a temporary withdrawal due to mental health issues are just some of the chapters that have shaped Amanda Anisimova's character. Episodes that have helped her grow and strengthen internally, hence the explosion we have seen in 2025, where her talent has spoken on the court.
“I have experienced everything in my life, I think having gone through certain situations and some difficult things have allowed me to heal more quickly from certain urgencies now, they have helped me work better on myself,” points out the American, the only debutant this week in the masters' tournament. “It is precisely thanks to all those moments that I can now have the kind of mindset I want, although it is also true that I live surrounded by super strong women, so I would say it is a combination of many things,” concludes the fourth-ranked player in the world.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Anisimova: “Mi mayor cambio este año fue la mentalidad con la que voy a los torneos”