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For a player just 21 years of age, Amanda Anisimova’s tennis journey involves a full spectrum of emotions, experiences and challenges.
She has been well known to tennis insiders for almost seven years – following stellar junior results – and has been forced to contend with significant injury, plus the unexpected, devastating death of her father (also her coach) in August 2019.
Her ability to successfully compete when confronted with such obstacles and trauma has been remarkable, demonstrating an incredible level of resilience.
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Anisimova told ausopen.com one of her main passions was having the opportunity to inspire others.
"I love when I see little kids, or fans, come up to me and just tell me how much they love watching me and that I inspire them. So I think that's the most special to me,” she said.
“I get surprised, every time I'm like, oh, they love watching me all the time. And like they all come out and just to see me.
“Some people I guess say that they love watching how I fight, that I always try to stay in the match.
“I think that's my favourite quality of mine, that I've always tried to work on, is no matter what, I'll still put up a fight.”
While fighting qualities have increasingly come to define her career, Anisimova was initially noticed for her prodigious talent and shot-making.
She reached the 2016 Roland Garros girls’ final aged just 14, then won the 2017 US Open junior title over Coco Gauff in the final – a harbinger of the heights both would go on to scale.
Anisimova’s breakout professional run came at Indian Wells in 2018 where, aged 16, she unfurled a succession of brilliant backhands – her signature shot – to stun Petra Kvitova for her first top-10 win and a place in the last 16.
In the 2019 Roland Garros quarterfinals, she produced a similar flurry of perfectly-struck, acutely-angled groundstrokes to dismantle defending champion Simona Halep.
Later that year she hit a career-high ranking of world No.21.
But the next two seasons saw her form and ranking fall away as she grappled with that personal tragedy and a COVID-affected schedule, including missing AO 2021 due to a positive test.
Season 2022 was one of heart-warming resurgence.
She won her first WTA title in nearly three years at the Melbourne Summer Set 2, then upset defending champion Naomi Osaka – again demonstrating that fighting spirit by saving two match points in the process – to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Anisimova also reached the second week at Roland Garros and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, returning to the top 25 after beginning the year ranked 78th.
Reflecting on her journey to this point, she told ausopen.com it was both long and complicated.
“Transitioning to the pros is a big decision. So there were always moments where I kind of doubted it, and as a tennis player, there are some times where you think, should I keep doing this?” she explained.
“I just thought about it, and I'm like, I don't think I could ever picture myself not playing tennis.
"I think the most complicated part about tennis is not knowing whether you'll make it. And it's very tough, especially because you're on your own, and it's very money-demanding. So just the unknown of whether you'll become successful is very scary to most players, I think.
“I'm just very grateful with how well I've done at a young age. I really think about that a lot, just how happy I am, and blessed, that I was able to do well and have so many people around me that have helped me.
“I'm happy I made the decision I did.”
Having rediscovered some of her best form, and having come through all the experiences she has, the American is well-positioned to go even higher.
She revealed that over the next few years, she was focused on progressing towards winning a major.
“One day, if I do become very successful, I would like to share my whole life story, and childhood, and just like everything that I've been through. And maybe like write a book, or I would normally be leaning to doing a movie, kind of,” she said.
“I think that would be cool, because there's a lot that people don't know, and I do keep things very personal, but one day I will, like, try and tell all, if I get to that point."