"It's tough": Amanda Anisimova reveals reason behind poor show in Dubai after title triumph in Doha

America’s Amanda Anisimova has criticised the tough schedule after suffering a shocking defeat in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The 23-year-old has been on an emotional roller coaster of a ride in the recent past.

Anisimova recently lifted the WTA 1000 event in Doha, the Qatar Open, where she defeated Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-3. During that triumph, the New Jersey-born secured impressive wins against the former world number one Victoria Azarenka in the first round and the Australian Open 2025 semifinalist Paula Badosa in the second round.

Soon after, she arrived in Dubai but suffered a defeat in the first round of the competition to fellow American McCartney Kessler in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Talking after the match, Anisimova highlighted the tough schedule as one of the primary reasons why she struggled to keep the momentum going. She also highlighted how tough it is to be a tennis professional, as all players on the tour are worried about being penalised for not showing up to the tournaments on a consistent basis. Anisimova also expressed optimism that she will be able to adjust to the demands of the tough tennis schedule in the near future.

"Definitely a little scary to go and play after such a quick turnaround,” she said. “Not testing out the conditions and putting your body through that, it's like very vulnerable. With the schedule they have on us, it's tough. You get fined. Then your ranking gets affected if you skip the big tournaments. We don't get much of a choice when it comes to that. Knowing that in my mind, I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to try to play and do the best that I can. Hopefully I can get more used to that.”