Why Amanda Anisimova Suddenly Quit Tennis: It Was 'Unbearable'

It's been a long and twisting road to the Wimbledon final for American 23-year-old Amanda Anisimova.

She famously quit tennis altogether before reemerging as a powerhouse in the sport.

Why did Animova quit tennis?

She explained the decision in a post on Instagram in May 2023. She accompanied the caption with a photo showing her lying on a tennis court. 

"Hey guys. I thought I’d make a post explaining what’s been going on and my plans. I’ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022," she wrote. "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. I will miss being out there, and I appreciate all the continuous support 🤍✌️"

That same month, she lost in the first round in a tournament in Madrid and quit, at least for a time.

She turned to art.

“I picked that hobby up when I was struggling with my mental health,” Anisimova told Olympics.com. “It was definitely something that I really enjoyed off the court, for a few hours to reset my mind and put something creative into the world.”

“It was special to me and it felt like I was doing something other than tennis. It was nice to have a few interests outside of tennis.”

She added, “I like a few simple things to get my mind off: reading books, or listening to music, just something to relax and get my stress levels down after a tough day of training.”

According to NBC, she returned to competitive tennis in January 2024.

Anisimova dealt with the sudden death of her dad to a heart attack in 2019. He was also her longtime coach. In addition, she rose quickly in professional tennis, reaching the French Open semifinals at age 17.