Anisimova transformed the Grand Slam setback into momentum, climbing to a career-high ranking after two finals and a revitalized 2025 campaign.

Over the summer, Amanda Anisimova endured one of the most humbling defeats you'll see in pro sports.

The 24-year-old American reached her first career Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, where she faced the formidable Iga Swiatek. Swiatek proceeded to win 6-0, 6-0, the second "double bagel" in just the second such result at a Grand Slam final in the Open Era, dating back to 1968, and the first result in a women's final at Wimbledon since 1911. Just look at the raw emotion and vulnerability Anisimova showed during the post-match interview.

Results like these have defined athletes' careers, their lives. Shattered their confidence. Broken their spirit. Setbacks like the one Anisimova had in London could have easily sent her toward a downward spiral in which she'd never recover from.

That's not what happened to Anna Anisimova in her next slam at the US Open.

"I had lost in the first round in a really tough match the year prior, so I was just eager to play, and my first goal was to get through the first round," Anisimova told Boardroom. "It was a really fun few weeks with a lot of friends and family there, so I was just using that as energy to carry me through the tournament. The atmosphere was completely different at the US Open, so I tried to really focus on that and not really think about the match at Wimbledon. The biggest thing was having fun and enjoying every second from the first day."

Anisimova reached the final again in Queens, falling to Aryna Sabalenka in a second-set tiebreak that more than tested the will of both competitors. Anisimova reached the semis of the WTA Final in Riyadh and finished a career-best fourth in the WTA rankings. Now, instead of tumbling down the standings, Anisimova is hungry for her first career slam and the No. 1 spot.

She attributes her success in 2025 to discipline and consistently showing up and doing her best, whether at a Grand Slam final, in a match when she may not feel her best, or in a training session.

"Every single time I was faced with a challenge," Anisimova said, "I try to face it head on, give it my best, and see how far I can get and compete at the best level that I'm able to. So doing that time and time again this year has brought me to that career high ranking, which I'm really excited about and looking forward to competing next year and seeing how I can bounce back from that from this year."

Anisimova will return to New Jersey, where she was born and grew up before moving to Miami as a child, to take on Jessica Pegula at Prudential Center in Newark on Dec. 7 for A Racquet At The Rock. Carlos Alcaraz will also take on Frances Tiafoe. She said she's expecting a lively atmosphere: “I'm sure there's going to be a lot of fans who are going to be cheering, so I'm really looking forward to it. It'll also be nice to get back on the court since it's going to be like a month since we last played.”

Anisimova was enjoying her abbreviated offseason at home in Miami, spending time with family and friends and watching shows like Severance and The Beast In Me, which she started a few times but then stopped because she thought it was a movie.

"It's so nice to be in my apartment and not at a hotel room every single day," Anisimova said. "So I'm just soaking that in. I'm going to start my preseason too, which I'm fortunate I get to do at home."

While only 24, Anisimova has been playing professionally for nearly a decade. She played her first pro match at the US Open in 2016, just days before her 15th birthday, winning as a wild card before falling in the second round. Playing tennis at the highest level at such a young age made her mature quickly, she said, but she obviously faced some setbacks along the way.

In May 2023, despite having risen to the top 25 the year before, Anisimova said she'd be taking an indefinite break from tennis, citing burnout and concerns for her mental health.

"It serves me well now that I have all that experience," she said. "Now, the most important thing I learned is to just balance everything out. The tour and the schedule is very overwhelming and can be hectic at times, especially if you do well and make the final rounds tournament after tournament. Knowing when to take a break has been really important to me to reset mentally and physically. I think I've done a really good job of that this year, being able to just pick and choose the right time to go home, which is so important."

While Anisimova wants to get to No. 1, she wants to do it at her own pace and not get too ahead of herself.

"I feel like I'm doing all the right things and I'm slowly building my way up there," she said. "This has been my first full season that I've played. So if I keep playing and give myself opportunities, then it'll be more feasible."

Anisimova has taken what would completely break a vast majority of athletes and has only raised her level since then. After two straight Grand Slam final appearances, the rest of the WTA tour should be put on notice.