{"id":297753,"date":"2023-12-12T16:27:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=297753"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:27:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:27:06","slug":"anisimova-copies-raducanu-comeback-after-u-turn-on-quitting-for-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/tennis\/anisimova-copies-raducanu-comeback-after-u-turn-on-quitting-for-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Anisimova copies Raducanu comeback after U-turn on quitting for mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Amanda Anisimova is making a comeback less than a year after taking an indefinite break from tennis due to her declining mental health. The American said she had been suffering from burnout when she announced her hiatus back in May. But she has now U-turned and is following the same comeback path as Emma Raducanu by taking a wildcard into the ASB Classic and signing up for the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

Raducanu isn’t the only player making her return to tennis at the beginning of 2024 as Anisimova is among the long list of players getting back into competition. Aged just 22, she quit the sport earlier this year in an effort to protect her mental wellbeing. The American hasn’t played since a first-round exit from the Madrid Open, after which she decided to stop playing.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,” the former world No 21 explained in an Instagram post. “It\u2019s become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I\u2019ve worked as hard as I could to push through it. I will miss being out there, and I appreciate all the continuous support.”<\/p>\n

It previously wasn’t known how long Anisimova would be out for or if she would even return. But she has now signed up to her first tournaments in almost eight months and has copied Raducanu’s plan of coming back in Auckland before heading to the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

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Just hours after ASB Classic organisers announced that the Brit had received a wildcard into the tournament, they confirmed that Anisimova would be joining her at the WTA 250 event from January 1. “We weren\u2019t lying when we said TWO big announcements today! Crowd fave @AnisimovaAmanda is starting her new year comeback on Centre Court! This young gun is ready to return stronger than ever – we can\u2019t wait to cheer her on,” they wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has also put her name on the Australian Open entry list using her protected ranking of No 61 in the world, meaning she has made it directly into the main draw. Raducanu’s name also appeared on the list after Monday’s deadline to sign up to the tournament passed.<\/p>\n

But her special injury ranking is much lower than Anisimova’s at No 103 in the world. This would usually just be high enough to get into the main draw but Anisimova is one of seven women in the top field to use a protected standing, meaning Raducanu has been unable to make the cut and will need to rely on a series of withdrawals, a wildcard, or coming through qualifying.<\/p>\n