From teenage stardom to her maiden WTA 1000 title, via an artistic break from tennis: get to know the USA’s up-and-coming talent, Anisimova.
Amanda Anisimova is just getting started.
The American began the 2025 tennis season with a landmark achievement, earning her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open with victory in the final over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
It brought her into the top 20 of the world rankings for the first time, though the 23-year-old from New Jersey has been one to watch on the tour for many years.
While the US is stacked with tennis talent, from 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff to 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys, Anisimova is not one to let under the radar as she continues her rise up the ranks.
Scroll down to learn more about the USA’s latest tennis starlet.
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Amanda Anisimova is flyin' high in Doha 🤭 #QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/37smYl0M9K
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 15, 2025
Amanda Anisimova, part of a sister tennis act
Anisimova has a sister called Maria, who was the family’s first introduction to tennis due to her passion, leading them to move to Florida when Maria was 10 years old to chase her dream.
“I definitely have to sacrifice a lot, because I have to travel so much,” Anisimova told the New York Times in 2017. “But I really enjoy traveling and playing all these tournaments…because this is what I enjoy doing.”
Maria went on to play college tennis at the University of Pennsylvania between 2006 and 2009, where she was part of the college’s first women’s doubles pair to reach the college championships.
“When I was little, she was playing tennis,” Anisimova said to the WTA. “I always saw her playing, and I wanted to do it, too. That’s how I got into it and my parents got into it, too.”She is a keen artist and mental health advocate
Anisimova has been open about her mental health, announcing that she would take a break from tennis in May 2023 due to burnout.
Taking time away from the circuit allowed her to focus attention and energy on other passions, and that happened to be painting, which she turned into a positive outlet for her mental health.
Under a project named ‘Art for hope’, Anisimova said, “Mental health is a crucial component of overall well-being. It affects how we feel, think, act, and can have a profound impact on our relationships, work, and daily life.”
Anisimova worked on several canvas paintings during her tennis break, which she put on display in a New York gallery ahead of selling them to raise funds for charities supporting mental health among other social causes.
“I always liked art when I was younger, so I bought canvases and paint and I thought I’d try it for fun,” she told the WTA upon her return in January 2024.
“It was just nice to take a break from the chaotic lifestyle of a tennis player and reset as a human. I gained a lot of energy back in myself and happiness. I slowed my life down and that’s something that I really needed.”
Anisimova, matching Serena Williams with Doha delight
Anisimova is accustomed to breaking records and added another impressive accolade with her 2025 Qatar Open victory.
She had a stacked draw with no opponent outside the top 40, yet the 23-year-old earned straight set victories against the likes of two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka and world No. 10 Paula Badosa.
Anisimova followed in the footsteps of Serena Williams, becoming the first American player to defeat six top-40 opponents at a single event since the four-time Olympic gold medallist did so at the 2007 Australian Open.
In fact, the New Jersey native only dropped a set on the way to her maiden victory at 1000 level, her third career singles title.
Anisimova said after her title coup (via the WTA), “I’m just super happy with my performances and my level here, and to be able to get my first 1000 title is really special to me…I think my whole game is actually coming together.”
If Anisimova did not play tennis, she would be a surgeon
It is often asked of athletes what they would do for work had they not taken up professional sport. The answer often surrounds another sport or a related field, perhaps the media or training.
For Anisimova however, she has another passion: medicine.
She told the New York Times, “If I didn’t play tennis, I’d want to be a surgeon. Actually what I want to do is go to online college while I’m in my pro career and then go to med school after I finish.”
With a statement piece of silverware and already showing she is up for the Grand Slam fight, there is certainly more to come from Anisimova.
Amanda Anisimova, a breakthrough teenage sensation
Despite the significance of her triumph in Doha in February 2025, this is not the first time that Anisimova has lit up the tennis world.
Making her professional debut at just 14, she won her first match in the 2016 US Open qualifier against seeded player Veronica Cepede Royg.
Back in 2019, the then 17-year-old went on a fairytale run to the French Open semi-finals, having never previously won a match on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
As an unseeded teenager, Anisimova defeated future world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Simona Halep en route to the final four.
She became the first player born in the 21st century to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final and semi-final, seeing her run ended by eventual champion Ashleigh Barty.
Anisimova secured a second appearance in a quarter-final three years later, beating fellow American Gauff in the third round at Wimbledon 2022.