“It’s become unbearable” – Amanda Anisimova will take a mental health break from tennis

Former world No 21 and 2019 Roland-Garros semi-finalist Amanda Anisimova will take time away from the game in the name of mental health.

Anisimova, 21 years old and with a current ranking of 46 in the world, says that she has struggled with her mental health since last summer and things recently became “unbearable.”

“I thought I’d make a post explaining what’s been going on and my plans,” she posted on Instagram. “I’ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022. 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.”

Anisimova, a former junior No 2, lost her father and coach Konstantin in the summer of 2019, when he died from a sudden heart attack – he was just 52.

The heartbreaking news came just months after the American had powered into the Roland-Garros semi-finals as a 17-year-old in the spring of 2019. She became the youngest semi-finalist in Paris since 2006 at the time.

The American owns two career titles, at Adelaide in 2022 and Bogota in 2019, and seven top 10 wins.

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