"Didn’t think I’d be able to play" - Amanda Anisimova after her winning return at ASB Classic 2024 following eight-month mental health break

USA's Amanda Anisimova launched her much-awaited comeback on Monday (January 1) at the 2024 ASB Classic with a convincing 7-5, 6-4 victory over former World No. 11 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She was delighted with her performance during the post-match interview, considering she was not in great shape ahead of the match.

The American had taken a break from tennis in May last year, citing burnout. She joined Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida as a student athlete soon after to pursue her academic interests while she looked out for her mental health.

Amanda Anisimova was also training hard during her downtime from tennis, going by her gutsy display against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 22-year-old broke her older opponent's serve four times before taking the opening set 7-5.

Anisimova continued her relentless attack on Pavlyuchenkova's serve in the second set, rushing to a 5-1 lead. Although the Russian was able to regain one break, she was helpless as the American served out the match 7-5, 6-4.

During her post-match interview, the former World No. 21 admitted that she had a bout of muscle spasms in her shoulder ahead of her ASB Classic campaign. She also expressed her delight at competing at the WTA 250 tournament.

“I’m so happy to be here. I love this tournament. It’s so nice to start the year out here… honestly, in the morning I woke up with muscle spasms in my shoulder. I didn’t think I’d be able to play today. I’m just proud of myself for coming out here & really pushing myself," she said.

Anisimova will face World No. 23 Marie Bouzkova for a place in the quarterfinals at the 2024 ASB Classic. The Round-of-16 match will mark the first time the two players will meet on the WTA tour.

Amanda Anisimova looking to tap into her 2022 form before mental health break

Amanda Anisimova has won two WTA titles till date

Amanda Anisimova has always shown immense promise despite her propensity for burnout. The American first broke onto the WTA tour in 2019, making the semifinals of the French Open as a 17-year-old. She reached a career-high ranking of 21 a few months later.

Anisimova suffered from form issues in her subsequent years on the pro tour though, falling out of the top 80 WTA rankings by the end of 2021. She, however, won the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 1 against all odds before recording a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon.

The American's run at SW19 propelled her ranking to 22, one spot short of her career-high ranking. Although many pundits and fans expected her to continue her climb up the rankings, she dropped 11 of her next 18 matches on the WTA tour after Wimbledon.

Anisimova's last defeat came at the hands of World No. 107 Arantxa Rus, following which she announced her sabbatical from tennis. The youngster's ranking fell outside the top 300 as a result.