Who Is Amanda Anisimova? New Details On The 17-Year-Old Tennis Player And Her Stunning Win At The French Open
She's the last American standing at the French Open.
Amanda Anisimova is the last American standing at the 2019 French Open. The 17-year-old beat defending champion Simona Halep Thursday to reach her first trip to the semifinials at a major tournament. Amanda will need to beat Australia's Ashleigh Barty to make it to the finals of the championship. That match will take place on Saturday, June 8th at 5am Eastern time. Who is Amanda Anisimova?
1. Her parents are from Russia
Amanda Anisimova is the daughter of Konstantin and Olga Anisimova. Her parents moved to the United States from Russia in 1998 before Amanda was born. Originally, her parents wanted Amanda's sister Maria to be a tennis star. She was 10 when they moved to Florida so that she would have more opportunities. Amanda was born in Freehold Township, New Jersey on August 31, 2001. The family moved to Miami when she was three. She was mentored by her dad and the elite tennis coach Nick Saviano.
2. She turned pro a year ago
Amanda Anisimova turned pro full-time just last year. She had competed professionlly before. She earned a wild card spot to the French Open two years ago when she was 15. In her first professional season, Amanda ended up ranked 95th in the world. She was the runner-up at the Hana Cupid Japan Women's Open and made it to the fourth round at Indian Wells. She reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January, evenutally losing to Petra Kvitova.
3. She loves the individual nature of the sport
Amanda told WTA that she loves the individual nature of the sport the most. “In tennis, you don’t have to depend on anyone. I did gymnastics as a kid, and I liked that too, because I only had to depend on myself. It’s not like it’s all about me but at the end of the day, if I won or lost, I knew what I had to improve, and couldn’t rely on a team.”
4. Impressive earnings
Amanda Anisimova's WTA bio reveals that she has made $694,813 in her career. Most of that came from her win at the 2019 Copa Colsanitas in Bogata, Colombia. She won $250,000 at that tournament, which is her only tournament title to date. She will earn at least $662,000 for making the semifinals of the French Open, bringing her earnings to $1.34 million. Not bad for a 17-year-old!
5. She'd like to be a surgeon
Amanda Anismova has a back-up plan. “If I didn’t play tennis, I’d want to be a surgeon. Actually what I want to do is go to online college while I’m in my pro career and then go to med school after I finish.” In her free time, Amanda reads books and watches YouTube videos about science and chemistry.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.