17-year-old Amanda Anisimova has withdrawn from the 2019 US Open after the sudden passing away of her father.
Konstantin Anisimov, in his 50s, was Anisimova’s coach as well, and was found dead on Monday. A statement from the family said:
“We are shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our father. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time and ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you.”
Anisimova, who had turned up a brilliant year heading into the final major, was expected to give some of the top players a run for their money having made it to the semi-final of the French Open earlier this year.
The family has Russian roots, having migrated to the USA only in 1998 and Anisimov decided to coach Amanda in tennis when there was an obvious interest in the sport.
My ❤️ with you Amanda.
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) August 20, 2019
Anisimova went on to clinch the 2017 US Open junior championship and featured in a couple of senior Slams in 2017 and 2018 before her glory year earlier in 2019.
She first made it to the fourth round at the Australian Open before shocking the world with a semi-final appearance at the French Open. In doing so, she overcame Simona Halep in the tournament as well. She had earlier been a runner-up at the junior French Open in 2016.
Earlier this year, Anisimova had also won her first ever WTA title, beating Astra Sharma of Australia in the final of the Bogota Open. Ranked 24th in the world, Anisimova was expected to be a seeded player in the main draw at the US Open before she pulled out of the competition.
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