Amanda Anisimova aims to stand at the top of the WTA circuit, and she might have ticked one goal off her list. To break into the top 100. Ranked World No. 132 currently, Anisimova is now the finalist at the Canadian Open 2024 and is all set to lock horns with Jessica Pegula. However, apart from her potential surge in the rankings, there is another silver lining to her achievements. That is her best friend, Eleanor May, celebrating her baby steps towards the ultimate goal: to be the World No.1 among others!

May and Anisimova could be termed as BFFs, if someone just goes through May’s Instagram content. They party and go on vacations together, and in a snippet, May is seen accompanying Anisimova to a tournament, too. Not to forget the famous outfits of ‘nun and nurse.’ The duo might be the perfect definition of BFFs. And recently, May celebrated Anisimova’s first journey to the final in Montreal. While it may seem like a normal thing to some: another tennis player making it to the finals, it is not.

Anisimova not only defeated 4 of the top 10 seeds in the Canadian Open, but she also marked her first appearance in a final since her sabbatical in 2023. But there is another thing to rejoice: the 22-year-old is the lowest-ranked player ever to reach the finals of a WTA 1000 tournament. Kudos to the American tennis star. May took to her Instagram account to rejoice the achievements of her best friend. She posted a story with the caption, “Wow.🤩🤩🤍🤍Sooo good @amandaanisimova”

This feat matters more than any other for the American due to many reasons. Firstly, in 2019, the then-teenager was considered a prodigy to make it big. However, life had another plan for her. She lost her father, who was also her coach, just a week before her 18th birthday and her US Open draw in 2019. Since that fateful day, Anisimova has struggled to regain the form that led her to the Roland Garros 2019 semifinal. Hence, this final marks another starting point in her life, as she establishes herself as a strong contender after years of silence.

There is a significant reason for Anisimova to get out of her bed every day and step on the tennis court: It would make her father in heaven happy!

Amanda Anisimova makes her move on court with her father in her heart

It’s a dream of every parent to see their kids happy, shooting for stars, and winning. And this feeling is particularly deep when they train their children from the get-go, enabling them to realize their hidden potential. The same was true with Anisimova’s father, Konstantin Anisimova. He was a regular in the box, but all that ended in 2019, as he succumbed to a heart attack. This certainly affected Anisimova, as she said, “It was really hard to, like, leave my house.” 

But there was something that pushed her back on the court, her and her father’s will. Tennis was the only thing that offered her some consolation, maybe because of the memories associated with the court. “The only thing that has helped me is just playing tennis and being on the court. That’s what makes me happy, and I know it would make him happy, so that’s the way it is.”- she remarked during an interview.

Though Anisimova’s father is no more, he is always in her heart, while her BFF and family members rally behind her to make it big.