FROM HEARTBREAK TO CONQUERING THE HARD COURTS

In this series, The Straits Times highlights the players or teams to watch in the world of sport.

- Andy Ng

Today, we focus on American tennis star Amanda Anisimova, who has emerged from a mental health break stronger than before.

As Amanda Anisimova looks ahead to the WTA Finals this weekend, she will be proud that her journey through mental health issues has culminated in a triumphant return to the top of the women's game.

Her path in professional tennis weaves together a story of raw talent, devastating loss and thereafter a remarkable comeback following acknowledgment that she had lost her way.

Born on Aug 31, 2001, in Freehold Township, New Jersey to Russian immigrant parents Olga and Konstantin Anisimov, Anisimova was groomed for greatness from an early age.

Her family relocated to Florida when she was three and, by age five, she was tagging along to her older sister Maria's practices, eventually developing a passion for the sport that would define her life.

Under her father's guidance as both parent and coach, Anisimova burst onto the scene as a junior phenomenon, capturing the 2017 US Open girls' singles title at just 16.

At 17, she stunned the tennis world by reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 French Open, defeating then defending champion Simona Halep in the quarter-finals the youngest woman to advance that far in a Grand Slam since 2006, according to the WTA website.

Her powerful groundstrokes, clean ball-striking and exceptional return game marked her as a future star, propelling her into the WTA top 50. She claimed her first title that same year in Bogota, becoming the youngest American to win that event since Serena Williams in 1999.

But, behind the early accolades lay the seeds of a deeper struggle, one that would lead to a courageous step away from the game to prioritise her mental health.

Just as her career soared, personal tragedy struck.