Amanda Anisimova shared a heartwarming moment with fellow American Coco Gauff and had the time of her life during a stroll through the dunes after landing in Riyadh for the WTA Finals. Anisimova was scheduled to play at the Wuhan Open, but she withdrew due to a left calf injury.
Amanda Anisimova had one of her most successful seasons this year, recording several breakthrough moments. She won her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, beat No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Wimbledon final before losing to Iga Swiatek, and also reached the US Open final, where she lost to Sabalenka in every set.
The American began her Asian hard-court journey with a dominant victory at the China Open, beating Linda Noskova in the final. However, her campaign at the Wuhan Open ended before it could begin, as she withdrew due to a calf problem.
Landing in Riyadh for the end-of-year championships, Amanda Anisimova spent time with Coco Gauff, trying to take a selfie with her in front of the press wall but bursting out laughing every time they tried to strike a pose.
Here’s video of the players trying to pull themselves together.
In a series of Instagram Stories, the 24-year-old also shared a photo with her trainer, Hendrik Vleeshouwers, lying on their backs on the golden sand. She captioned it as follows:
“Casual”
In her next story, Anisimova was seen distraught as she held tightly to her seat during an exciting ride through the dunes.
“Not so casual,” she wrote in the caption.
Anisimova will face Elena Rybakina in the first round of the WTA Finals, scheduled for November 1, 2025.
Amanda Anisimova earned praise from Coco Gauff after China Open heroics
Coco Gauff was coming off a decent season, winning her second major title at Roland Garros, when she set up an all-American WTA 1000 semi-final against Anisimova. However, the 21-year-old was beaten in straight sets after just 58 minutes of play. After the match, Gauff spoke about how it became impossible for her to find her rhythm as she faced one of the strongest players on the tour. She even compared her fellow American to number one Aryna Sabalenka, saying:
“She played well. I felt like I didn’t really have a chance to get into any rhythm. But a learning experience for next time… I mean, she’s definitely one of the best I’ve played. Yeah, sure, her and Aryna are tough when they play at that level of tennis.” (via Tennis World USA)
Anisimova has won four WTA Tour titles and currently ranks 4th on the WTA Tour.
Edit to Agneede Majudder
