Amanda Anisimova's world was turned upside down when her father passed away a week before her 18th birthday. Konstantin Anisimov played a significant role in his cherished daughter's tennis career, coaching her from a tender age.

In a 2017 interview with the New York Times, he said of their relationship: "Definitely pressure is big and especially pressure is growing when she is doing unexpectedly good, because then it's very difficult to stay on course and be realistic and don't be delusional. I saw a lot of parents who got immediately delusional and those stories end up in a very bad way. You can't over-train. You can't over-push."

However, disaster struck in 2019 when Konstantin suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 52. He had recently separated from his wife and Amanda's mum, Olga, but the family remained "in contact" despite the separation, according to reports.

When Olga hadn't heard from Konstantin for several days, she grew concerned and alerted the authorities, as it was out of character for him not to be in touch. Emergency services had to force entry into his home after finding the door locked, where they discovered Konstantin had passed away.

Anisimova was in the midst of preparing for the US Open when tragedy struck, leading her to withdraw from the competition. In a 2020 interview with the New York Post, she opened up about her father's death, explaining: "It was the worst thing that ever happened to me, it was very tough. But you can't change it, and you have to get back to life."

Despite facing such adversity, Anisimova has made an impressive comeback in the years since, rising to superstardom on the WTA Tour and currently sitting ninth in the rankings. The year 2025 has also been her most successful yet in terms of Grand Slam events.

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The 24-year-old tennis sensation may have faced defeat during the qualifying games at Wimbledon last summer, but she fought her way to the final this year, squaring off against Iga Swiatek on the revered courts of SW19. Although she suffered a crushing 6-0 6-0 defeat at the hands of the formidable Polish player, reaching her first Grand Slam final would have been a moment of triumph for Anisimova.

Now, she has another shot at securing her first major title as she prepares to face WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final on Saturday, September 6. Anisimova's journey to the final of her home Grand Slam hasn't been without its challenges, having defeated Kimberly Birrell, Maya Joint and Jaqueline Cristian in the initial rounds.

She then secured a victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia in the round of 16, before avenging her previous loss to Swiatek with a 6-4 6-3 win in the quarter-finals. After a nail-biting match against Naomi Osaka, she secured her place in the tournament's final on Friday, setting the stage for the most significant match of her career.

On reaching the US Open final, Anisimova said: "It means the world. I'm trying to process that right now. It's just absolutely a dream come true.

"I mean, this has been a dream of mine forever to be in the US Open final, and obviously the hope is to be the champion. But I'm in the final now and I'm going to try to get ready, but I'm just excited. And yeah, it's really special."