Amanda Anisimova says putting her tennis career on pause in 2023 is "the best decision" she has ever made, and also admits that she would probably have fallen into a darker place had she continued competing at the time.
On April 26th, 2023, Anisimova lost to Arantxa Rus in the Madrid Open first round. For the American, it was her fourth consecutive loss at the time – she was without a win since February – and fell to a 3-8 record in 2023. A couple of days later, the 2017 US Open girls' singles champion announced that she was taking a break from tennis to address her mental health and well-being.
In late 2023, Anisimova confirmed that she would return to tennis at the start of 2024. Fast forward to late 2025, the 24-year-old is now one of the best players in the world, having reached two Grand Slam finals this year and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 4.
Reflecting back on her 2023 decision, Anisimova revealed that there had been some people telling her she should "push through" her struggles. But she didn't listen because she was already at a breaking point.
Anisimova: Had I continued playing, it would have set me back even further
"I just needed that time to reset. At that moment when I was making my decision, people said, Oh, just push through this. Or, like, it’ll get easier and just, like, try and get through it. But I think if I had done that, it would have set me back even further. Yeah, I think it was the best decision ever. And I think it also changed me as the person I am off the court. When I came back from my break, I’ve just been growing into this, into the person I am, and just becoming more comfortable and more free with myself," the 24-year-old told Sports Illustrated.
Heading into 2026, Anisimova is now widely regarded as a contender for the Grand Slam and WTA 1000 titles.
