Anisimova, the Wimbledon star who talks about mental health: “It is as important as physical health”

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Amanda Anisimova is, without a doubt, one of the most brilliant stories of Wimbledon 2025. A story written with powerful backhands, a wonderful fluency in striking, and a renewed character that has brought her back to the elite of the women’s circuit. It was not enough to win a WTA 1000 in Doha, which took some by surprise: this budding star already shines in a Grand Slam, the third of the year, where she awaits Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

But the path was not always smooth. There were bumps, thorns, accepting tough moments, maturing through hardships. The vital burden of a lifestyle perhaps not suitable for everyone. Because Amanda broke barriers, touched the sky at just 17 by reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros, then experienced stages nobody desires: the death of her father and coach at only 52, feeling that tennis, in general, was becoming overwhelming.

She surprised the world when she took a break, citing mental health issues, stating that the circuit’s pace had robbed her smile and filled her life with stress. She went through a phase of rediscovering one of her passions, painting. She returned to studying, did volunteer work, traveled, and essentially flew free, unconcerned about training schedules, last-minute flights, rounds won, and technical advancements. It was only when her mind respected her and the tennis bug returned that she made her comeback. And the results are already here.

“MENTAL HEALTH IS AS IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL HEALTH”

But Amanda plays with a renewed purpose, to shed light on the issues that female tennis players may face under the intense professional circuit, to support those who feel that their minds are their greatest adversaries. She had no qualms about recounting dark moments in a conversation with ESPN, just after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. Her words speak of ambition, hunger, finding the right timings… and prioritizing the mind above all.

“I always knew deep down that I would return to the circuit, no matter how much time off I needed to take. I felt there were many things I still wanted to achieve in this sport. Winning a Slam is one of them, and I didn’t want to leave so soon after sacrificing a significant part of my life and working so hard. Once I came back, I found a new passion for tennis. It’s a passion I hadn’t felt before, not even as a teenager. Each victory means so much more now“. Much more significant indeed, as Amanda opens up about the challenges she faced… and the responses she received from the circuit.

“I feel it was important for me to be so honest and vulnerable about a topic that, perhaps, is still somewhat stigmatized. I managed to show others this issue from a different perspective: mental health struggles. It’s as crucial as physical health, especially when we talk about a sport and being dedicated to it professionally. The lifestyle can be drastically different if you don’t find the right balance. Everything becomes very isolating. We’ve seen many players suffer; this is a very important issue. Many support teams are beginning to understand what it takes to bring more happiness into the lives of the players, and I’ve seen many teams do a great job with their players. It’s crucial to enjoy yourself on and off the court.”

With that renewed happiness, rediscovered passion, and the right balance between life on and off the court, Amanda will now face one of the most important matches of her career. Reaching this point is already a triumph, but Anisimova set out to fulfill dreams… and there is no more suitable instrument for that than a persevering and tenacious mind. 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Anisimova, la estrella de Wimbledon que habla de salud mental: “Es tan importante como la física”