Amanda Anisimova, winner in the 100 percent American duel at the WTA Finals

In a survival match in the “Serena Williams” group in Riyadh, in the King Saud University Indoor Arena, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys met. The Wimbledon and US Open finalist versus the Australian Open champion, but also the players who bowed out in their debut matches in Saudi Arabia.

The first confrontation between the two Americans started under the sign of balance, with four breaks, then the balance tilted in favor of Madison Keys, participating for the second time at the WTA Finals, who prevailed 6-4.

Amanda Anisimova, a debutant at the end of the year ball, came back into the match, winning the second set 6-3.

She continued to dictate things in the decider as well, where she led 5-1 and prevailed 6-2.

Following Monday's results, Elena Rybakina is qualified for the semifinals, and Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova will duel on Wednesday for access to the penultimate act, Madison Keys being eliminated.

Amanda Anisimova, a new version in 2025

Before playing in Saudi Arabia, Amanda Anisimova gave an interview to The Guardian in which she talked about her extremely successful season.

“I think what's changed the most is the mentality I go to tournaments with, approach matches with. That's been the biggest change for me this season.

The whole journey I've had has helped me a lot, and the day this tour ends, I'll be able to look back and remember everything I've achieved. Svery proud of the way I competed and behaved on the court, it's something I tried to do without exception throughout the season“, admitted the 24-year-old player.

Amanda Anisimova in action PHOTO Imago Images

Curiously, the Wimbledon final represented the sweetest and, 57 minutes later, the cruelest moment of her career. “Of course it wasn't easy, I had to work on myself for a while, especially mentally,” she recalled of that 0-6, 0-6 loss.

“I had toit to put things into perspective and think about how I'm going to recover from this, how I'm going to approach the next tournaments, especially if I was going to meet Iga Swiatek again. In the end it all came naturally, the truth is I didn't think too much about anything. I thought that every week would bring me a new tournament, a new day and a new match. That's how I managed to assimilate everything during the summer”, she emphasizes.

Amanda Anisimova and the pressure of success

“When you're successful at a young age, obviously there's a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations, a lot of new things that you haven't experienced before,” adds the American, a professional since the age of 15.

“It's too much for a little girl who's not even fully developed, she's not even fully aware of what's going on. It's too much, but right now I think the young girls on the circuit are doing a great job of balancing and managing it all. The most important thing is the group of people you surround yourself with, listen to their advice and follow their guidance,” she claims.

Amanda Anisimova, hardened by life

A semi-final at Roland Garros at the age of 17, the loss of her father just a few months later, the inability to explore her best version or a temporary retirement due to mental health problems are just some of the chapters that shaped Amanda Anisimova's character. Episodes that helped her grow and strengthen herself internally, hence the explosion we saw in 2025 when her talent spoke on the field.

“I've experienced everything in my life, I think the fact that I went through certain situations and through some difficult things helped me to heal faster in certain situations, helped me to work better on myself.

It is precisely because of all these moments that I can now have the mindset that I want, although it is true that I live surrounded by very strong women, so I would say that it is a combination of many things,” she concluded.