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Who is Amanda Anisimova? Meet the young tennis star who upset Naomi Osaka

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Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka’s stay in Melbourne this year was short, thanks to a rising American star.

Amanda Anisimova, a 20-year-old from New Jersey, stunned the four-time grand slam winner Friday, saving two match points on the way to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win to reach the fourth round.

“I knew I had to be playing sharp if I wanted to give myself a chance,” said Anisimova, who moves on to play the top-ranked player in the world, Australia’s Ash Barty.

Here’s everything you need to know about the young American who has taken one of the game’s giants out of the first grand slam of the year and will be looking for another huge upset the next time she takes the court.

Who is Amanda Anisimova?

Anisimova was born in Freehold, N.J., to parents who had recently emigrated from Russia, but the family moved to the Miami area when she was 3 so Amanda and her older sister Maria could concentrate on tennis.

She rose through the junior ranks, reaching as high as No. 2 in the world as a 14-year-old in 2016. Anisimova reached the second round of US Open qualifying that year and made her WTA main draw debut at the Miami Open in the spring of 2017.

She beat Coco Gauff in the final to win the US Open girls’ singles title that fall and broke into the top 100 of the WTA rankings in 2018, making the final of the Japan Women’s Open in Hiroshima about two weeks after turning 17.

Anisimova won her first WTA title on clay in Bogota, Colombia, in April 2019, despite never having won a single tour-level match on the surface before that tournament. She stayed hot on the dirt the following month, rolling to the French Open semifinals without dropping a set before losing to Barty.

That clay-court season propelled her up the rankings, and she would reach a career-best No. 21 in the world that fall, but the last couple of years have been a struggle.

She pulled out of the 2019 US Open after her father and coach, Konstantin, died of a reported heart attack in mid-August. Though she played well to reach the semifinals in Auckland in January 2020 before falling to Serena Williams, Anisimova had not moved past the quarterfinals in any tournament since then until winning the Melbourne Summer Set tune-up tournament earlier this month.

Entering the Australian Open, she was ranked 60th in the world, leaving her unseeded for the tournament.

“Last year was a huge struggle for me,” Anisimova told reporters Friday. “Honestly, I didn’t think that I would – I mean, it’s not that I didn’t think, but I really wanted to be having these moments again.

“Sometimes you doubt it, like what if I get injured and I’ll never be able to play in a grand slam again? Like, those thoughts try to creep up in my head sometimes. Yeah, last year was just not great, all my results I wasn’t happy with. I’m just really happy that I had a great preseason with my team.”

Amanda Anisimova career record

With the victory over Osaka, Anisimova has a 112-63 career singles record on tour, and an 8-0 mark in 2022.

Anisimova had lost nine consecutive matches against top-20 players before knocking off the 14th-ranked Osaka.

Her best grand slam result to date came in the 2019 French Open, where she reached the semifinals.

She made it to the fourth round in her Australian Open debut in 2019 and has career-best runs to the third round at the US Open (2020) and the second round at WImbledon (2019).

She is now 17-11 in grand slam matches.

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Doping Controversies Overshadow Sinner and Swiatek’s Tennis Achievements in 2024

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Sinner and Swiatek Doping Controversies Overshadow Tennis

Sinner and Swiatek Doping Controversies Overshadow Tennis 2024! Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek achieved significant milestones in 2024, but doping controversies overshadowed their otherwise stellar seasons. Both players faced scrutiny after failed doping tests, resulting in questions about the integrity of tennis’s anti-doping measures.

Sinner tested positive for a trace amount of clostebol but explained it was unintentional contamination. While an independent tribunal cleared him, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed, risking a potential two-year ban. Despite this, Sinner secured major titles, including the Australian and U.S. Opens, and led Italy to Davis Cup glory.

Swiatek faced similar challenges after testing positive for trimetazidine, attributed to melatonin contamination. She received a month-long suspension but expressed relief once her case was resolved. Swiatek still shone in 2024, winning five titles, including her fourth French Open.

These doping incidents prompted criticism of tennis authorities for perceived leniency towards high-profile players. Simona Halep, who faced a prolonged battle over her ban, highlighted inconsistencies in doping rulings.

Tennis saw remarkable moments amid these challenges, including Novak Djokovic’s Olympic gold, Barbora Krejcikova’s Wimbledon win, and Carlos Alcaraz’s rise as a dominant force. Despite setbacks, Sinner and Swiatek demonstrated resilience and determination in a demanding year for tennis.

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WATCH: Andy Rublev gets ‘defaulted’ for his argument with line referee against Alexander Bublik in ATP 500 Tour

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Andy Rublev was ‘defaulted’ by the officials for his unsportsmanlike conduct in the semifinal of the ATP 500 tour in Dubai. In the semifinal of the tournament against his childhood friend Alexander Bublik, Rublev was seen frustrated at the lime umpires. In fact, Bublik himself was frustrated at times at the referees. Given the intense nature of the match, both yelled at the officials.

The Russian then had an argument with the line referee after yelling. It led to him getting defaulted. One of the officials who knew Russian claimed Rublev had used foul language against the line referee. However, Rublev denied using any such slang. The Russian official claimed that the Australian Open 2024 winner called him ‘F***ing moron’. The fans are not too happy with the officials.

Watch the video of the incident here –

 

Andrey Rublev fue DESCALIFICADO en el ATP 500 de Dubai tras gritarle en la cara a un juez de línea.

Perderá todos los puntos de la semana y el prize money ganado.pic.twitter.com/9kCY5PQQCe

— Set Tenis (@settenisok) March 1, 2024

Rublev was ready to continue playing. However, the officials found Rublev not worthy to continue the match. It denied the fans of a thrilling end to the semifinal game. The scoreline was 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 6-5 when the incident happened. If not for getting defaulted, the fans believed that it could have had a great finish which they hoped for. The incident had a mixed opinion.

Andy Rublev to be penalized

While some believed that getting ‘defaulted’ was the right call from the officials, many believed that the Russians did not deserve to get defaulted, as it was a big punishment for an ‘unproven incident’. Fans were of the opinion that giving a warning to the 26-year-old would have been a better option. Regardless of this, the Australian Open 2024 winner will be penalized for his act.

While Rublev reached the semifinal of the event and confirmed a lot of prize money in the process, he would not get anything from the tournament. For getting defaulted, Rublev will not get the prize money and will lose his world rankings from the event. Daniil Medvedev and Humbert will face each other in the semis. The winner of the match will take on Bublik in the final.

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WATCH: Victoria Azarenka taunts her opponent after straight sets win in Qatar Open

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The 2024 Qatar Open saw controversy erupt during the Victoria Azarenka vs Jelena Ostapenko’s match. The veteran tennis player was seen taunting her opponent after an easy win late on Wednesday night.

This latest win for Azarenka over Ostapenko was her fifth against her opponent. As the game ended Victoria Azarenka could be seen tapping her temple area. This was a signal to her opponent about the superiority that she holds.

Watch the video below:

The match ended in just under 90 minutes as the veteran won the match with the score reading 6-0, 6-3. There was more drama once the match ended as Ostapenko decided to offer her racquet for a tap. This was in diversion from the regular handshake to show the right spirit. Veteran player Azarenka decided to ignore the gesture and moved to shake hands with the chair umpire.

Victoria Azarenka’s win marred by controversy

Despite posting a dominant win over Jelena Ostapenko the Tennis world wasn’t happy with Victoria Azarenka. The antics from the veteran player didn’t sit down well with many fans across the world.

Victoria Azarenka now will play two-time Qatar Open winner Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. 34-year-old Azarenka had spoken about her motivations during a recent interview she did with the media. “When I was young, all I wanted to do was win the Grand Slam and the number 1 and I’ve achieved that. I wanted to continue and repeat that feeling. After I had Leo, my priorities shifted a bit” said Azarenka.

The tennis star is currently ranked world number 33 and was ranked at the top in 2012. Her two Grand Slam title wins came when she won the Australian Open two times in 2012 and 2013. The last time she came close to the Championship title was when she reached the US Open final in 2020. Naomi Osaka won the title beating Azarenka to claim a famous win.

Further speaking to the media, the 34-year-old said “I had to find a way to balance myself a bit. Where I don’t feel guilty for missing out on some of the time with him and dedicate myself to the craft. I think I found a balance through understanding that I’d love for him to see how hard I work and how much I put into it”

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