Amanda Anisimova reached the peak of her young yet turbulent career on Saturday by beating Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 6-3 to win the Qatar Open, her first WTA 1000 title. The 23-year-old has endured more than anyone should at that age, but she is now laser-focused on continuing to realise the glistening potential that put her on the map as a teenager.

Aged 15, Anisimova was the world's No.2-ranked junior. A week after turning 16, she beat a 13-year-old Coco Gauff, then going by the name of Cori, 6-0 6-2 to clinch the 2017 Junior US Open.

In 2019, the WTA Tour took notice as the American beat Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep on her way to the French Open semi-finals.

She was the youngest player to reach that stage of the Grand Slam since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006 and looked primed to continue her meteoric trajectory.

Then, tragedy struck. Anisimova lost her father and coach, Konstantin, to a sudden heart attack, which took its toll on the court, and she struggled to push on.

A positive 2022, which featured runs to the quarter-finals at the Madrid Open and Wimbledon, saw her start 2023 as the world No. 23.

However, after winning just two of her first nine matches of the season, she announced she was taking a break from professional tennis, citing burnout and mental health struggles.

Several months later, Anisimova expressed how "being able to reset" helped her feel refreshed as she returned to action in January 2024.

An impressive comeback year included a maiden WTA 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open, a quarter-final Citi Open appearance and a run to the Australian Open fourth round.

Anisimova's exploits propelled her from No. 373 to No. 36 in the WTA rankings at the start of 2025. On Monday, following glory in Qatar, she will reach a career-high world No. 18.

After beating six top 40 players throughout the tournament, the new Qatar Open champion explained the benefits of her hiatus from tennis.

"I definitely had that [competing for titles] in the back of my mind taking that break. I knew I was going to come back eventually. I just didn't know when that was going to be," Anisimova explained.

"I had a plan in mind when I was going to start practising and return, and I did it according to the timeline I predicted, which wasn't actually too long.

"I just needed to take a break and focus on myself for a bit. Once I came back, I was enjoying it a lot more.

"I think a lot of work on the mental side, honestly. I've been doing a really great job of that. Yeah, trying to enjoy the journey, the process, all the hours on the court, training. I've really been enjoying it.

"I have a really great team around me, a support system that's been really helpful. Being away from home isn't always easy but I've been enjoying the travel as well."