WTA FINALS

October 31, 2025

Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Amanda, welcome to the WTA Finals. How does it feel to be here? A big achievement to end up playing this.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, it's super exciting. It was a goal I had set for myself, to make it to the Finals. Yeah, just super happy to be here. It's a privilege and I'm excited to compete against the best players in the world.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was there anything during the career break that happened during that break that you think has contributed to your incredible results this season? How do you hope to continue this momentum into the next season?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I don't think there's anything in particular that I could say has helped me get to where I am. I think it was a combination of many different things.

But I think definitely just working on myself through that time that I had off and really trying to take advantage of the time that I did have, because we normally don't get much time outside of our crazy schedule and just being at home. I really tried to utilize that as much as I could to make sure I could prepare myself as a player and a person for when I returned to the tour.

Yeah, I think all the hard work I did on the inside was what really paid off for me.

Q. You were the only player outside the top 20 at the beginning of the year to qualify here. What does it say about you? Madison Keys said she was not surprised at all. Were you even a little bit surprised you got here?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think a little bit towards the end of the year as I was moving up in the rankings, every time I was super excited. Yeah, it's not a position I have been in before, so it's definitely all new experiences for me, milestones that I'm reaching that I've always dreamed of achieving.

Yeah, it's all been very exciting and a positive trajectory for me this year. As I've competed along the year, I think I've surprised myself along the way, for sure. Yeah, I've definitely hit some goals that I dreamt of early in the year and didn't think that maybe I would be able to achieve them by the end.

Q. How will the round-robin format change the way you approach things?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Obviously it changes a little bit if you lose the first or second round. I'm not really trying to think about that. I'm trying to think of it as any other tournament that I've played. Every match is going to be really important. I don't really have that in the back of my head.

I think it definitely helps, for sure.

Q. It's your first Finals. It just so happens that you're going to be here with three other American women. What does it mean to you to be here for your first time with such a strong U.S. showing?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: That's crazy that half of us are Americans. It's super exciting for U.S. tennis. I mean, we've done really well this year. Yeah, I'm just really proud of myself and the other girls. Yeah, hopefully we can keep going. Definitely makes us represent our country well. Yeah, I think we're doing a great job.

Q. How do you feel about the conditions playing indoors? Do you feel like tactics is more important than technique at the level of play that you have right now?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I think for sure we have to adjust a little bit because it definitely is different than playing outdoors all year round. I got here a bit earlier. I've gotten used to the conditions.

I think there's minor things that we might do differently here as opposed to if we were to play outdoors. I think everyone is kind of keeping that in mind. Yeah, there's definitely going to be a different style of tennis maybe I'd say.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's my first indoor tournament of the year, and probably in a while. It's going to be new for me, but I'm looking forward to it.

I think tactics is going to be more important than the technique. I don't think we hyper-focus on our technique week in, week out at tournaments 'cause there's not really anything we're going to be changing technique-wise. It's always tactics at tournaments.

Q. Speaking of technique, who taught you your backhand?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: God, that's a good question actually.

I don't know the exact answer to that because I did start playing tennis when I was about three years old (laughter). Probably my parents, I would say. Yeah, they were big on technique early on in my days. They really wanted me to have a smooth sort of technique. They probably instilled that in me.

Q. Can you describe in words what it is that makes your backhand so good? Do you think of technique? If somebody was I would love to have your backhand, how would you describe why it's so smooth and powerful?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I mean, it's funny to hear when people hype up my backhand so much.

I would say it's probably because I have a compact swing. There's not much going on in my backhand. A lot of people tell me it's my timing. I honestly don't analyze it because I'm just the one who's playing all the time. That's just what I hear and kind of what I feel.

I would say, yeah, the simplicity of it is what probably helps me the most.

Q. Who was most scared on your dunes trip going down the hill?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Everyone was actually a really good sport. I would say, yeah, everyone was there to have fun. No one was really, like, the party pooper. That was good.

I was the only one who actually didn't go on the camels. Yeah, I know, I felt so bad for them when I got there. It was 'cause we were talking about it all year with Ben. Yeah, we did it once. I normally wouldn't support the animals being used like that.

It was fun for the pictures. It was a good time. I did go on the four-wheeler, so...

Q. When you came back in the beginning of last year, was being in the top four and making Finals on your radar? Was that something you talked to anybody about or something you thought you could believe at that time?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I saw somewhere that I said in an interview I hoped I would be in the top 10 by the end of the year. I was saying it was still a far reach. I don't remember if that was this year in the beginning of the year.

At the time I thought they were huge goals, which they really are. The competition is so tough week in week out. You have to be your best physically and mentally to make it far in those tournaments. I knew how tough the goals were.

I think just me enjoying the process has gotten me this far. If you would have told me a year ago I would be sitting right here, it would be a little hard to believe. I'm just really excited.

Q. Four out of eight are Americans in this tournament. Want to know how do you feel about this fact? Would you like to have two Americans in the final? Which would you like to have in the final maybe?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I had answered it earlier that I think it's very exciting that half of us are Americans here. It's really good for the sport to represent our country in that way.

For sure I'm always happy to play an all-American final. I think it's very exciting. I get to compete with those who are close to me. That would be amazing. Hopefully that ends up happening. Yeah, we'll see.