From father's tragic death to almost quitting tennis for mental health issues: How Amanda Anisimova braved her demons to win biggest career title at Qatar Open

Amanda Anisimova recently won the biggest title of her career at the Qatar Open after defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3 in the final. This is the American's third career singles title and her first since 2022.

Anisimova had an inspired run in Doha which started with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Victoria Azarenka and this was followed by a 6-4, 6-3 victory against ninth seed Paula Badosa. The American then ousted the likes of Leylah Fernandez, Marta Kostyuk and Ekaterina Alexandrova to book her place in the final.

Here, Anisimova faced Jelena Ostapenko, who had not lost a set all tournament before the title clash. The 23-year-old put in an admirable display to win what is biggest title of her career so far.

The journey has not been an easy one for Anisimova as she has faced a lot of speed bumps before lifting the trophy at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

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Amanda Anisimova lost her father and longtime coach as a teenager

Amanda Anisimova first came to prominence in 2019, when she reached the semifinals of the French Open, defeating the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep. At the time, she became the youngest player to reach the final four of the clay-court Major since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006.

However, the American faced a massive personal tragedy just months later, as her father Konstantin, who had also been her coach, died of a heart attack. She eventually went on to withdraw from the 2019 US Open. Anisimova reached as high as 21st in the WTA rankings in 2019 but she suffered a loss of form over the next couple of years.

The American produced some impressive performances in 2022 that included reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open and Wimbledon. However, her performances went downhill the following year.

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Amanda Anisimova took an indefinite break from tennis in 2023 before making her comeback in 2024

Anisimova started 2023 as the World No. 23 but produced a string of poor performances, winning just two out of nine matches. That year's Madrid Open would be the American's last tournament as she announced an indefinite break from tennis just days after her first-round exit due to mental health issues and burnout.

"I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022," she wrote on Instagram, as quoted by the WTA's official website. “It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I've worked as hard as I could to push through it."

Anisimova was out of tennis for several months before returning to action in January 2024. At the time, the American said that she felt a lot more refreshed after her break.

"I feel a lot more refreshed. I'm enjoying practicing. I'm enjoying every second that I'm out there. Even when I was down today, I was still just enjoying the challenge. I'm just happy with how I feel coming back. I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn't a nice feeling. Being able to just reset is really nice," she said, as quoted by ESPN.

Amanda Anisimova produced some impressive performances following her hiatus from tennis, most notably reaching her maiden WTA 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open. The American also reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open and the fourth round of the Australian Open. She started 2024 as the World No. 373 but ended as the World No. 36.

Amanda Anisimova has had a good start to the 2025 season, winning nine out of 11 matches so far. Apart from her Qatar Open triumph, the American also reached the quarterfinals of the Hobart International.