New Delhi: American tennis player Amanda Anisimova on Saturday subdued the threat of Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the champion of 2017 French Open, to clinch the Qatar Open WTA 1000 title at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
The 23-year-0ld Anisimova won by 6-4, 6-3 in the final, which was twice disrupted by rain showers, to clinch third career title and first of WTA 1000 level. She is also the first American women tennis player to lift the title in Doha after Monica Seles in 2002.
May 2023 – Amanda Anisimova checks out of tennis to prioritize her mental health, citing burnout at 21 years old; picks up her passion for painting
February 2025 – One year into her comeback, Amanda Anisimova is a first-time WTA 1000 champion in Doha 🏆 pic.twitter.com/OsUAb9tEq1
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) February 15, 2025
“It was actually quite stressful, especially with the rain, at 3-3,” Anisimova said. “I was trying to stay focused. There’s not much that either of us could do with the conditions. But I think that game was super important, and I’m happy that it went my way.”
Anisimova’s Dominant Doha Run: Defeating Top Players
Ranked at 41 in the world rankings, Anisimova defeated six top 40 players, starting with the trumping of Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 64. Then she bettered against Spain’s Paula Badosa in the next round. The only time she dropped a set was against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinal match. She got the better of Ostapenko, who stopped Poland’s Iga Swiatek from claiming her fourth straight title.
Anisimova won the Copa Colsanitas in Columbia in 2019 to clinch her first WTA title and then won the Melbourne Summer Set 2 in 2022.
“There’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of tears,” Anisimova said during the trophy presentation. “This week has been amazing, super special.”
The American is projected to move up to No.18 in the updated WTA rankings on Monday, which will be her career-high ranking.
Amanda Anisimova secured her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko in the final. This victory marks her third career WTA title and propels her to a career-high ranking. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
