‘Heartbroken’: US teen sensation Amanda Anisimova pulls out of US Open after father’s death
Rising US tennis star Amanda Anisimova has withdrawn from the season-ending Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, after her father and longtime coach Konstantin Anisimov was found dead on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old American, who sensationally reached the semi-final of this year’s French Open, decided to skip the upcoming major tennis event after the tragedy shattered her entire family.
READ MORE: US teen Anisimova dumps defending champ Halep out of French Open
“I am heartbroken for Amanda, Olga, Maria and the entire Anisimova family,” the player’s agent Alyssa Roenigk wrote on Twitter. “The worst kind of news to have to report.”
“I recently spent time with Amanda and her mom for a feature that is running in the penultimate issue of ESPN The Magazine,” Roenigk added. “Thinking about Amanda's life then and her life today is gut wrenching.”
I recently spent time with Amanda and her mom for a feature that is running in the penultimate issue of ESPN The Magazine. It is my final print piece for the magazine and it was a pleasure to report and write. Thinking about Amanda's life then and her life today is gut wrenching.
— Alyssa Roenigk (@alyroe) August 20, 2019
Anisimova was born to Russian parents who emigrated to the US in 1998.
In 2017, she won the Junior US Open, signaling that a bright future was ahead as she emerged as one of the most talented tennis players of her age. The player, who is ranked 24th in the world, has not yet commented on the tragedy.
The cause of Anisimov’s sudden death has not been revealed. According to tennis.life, the man, who was in his early 50’s, may have had a heart attack.
