Amanda Anisimova, a rising star in the world of tennis, has been dealt a devastating blow in her quest to defend her title at the Qatar Open. In a shocking turn of events, the 24-year-old American was forced to retire in the opening round, a decision that threatens her position as the top-ranked player in the United States. This unexpected exit marks a significant setback for Anisimova, who had entered the tournament with high hopes and aspirations.
Just a year ago, Anisimova was basking in the glory of her first WTA 1000 title, having triumphed in Doha against Jelena Ostapenko. That victory catapulted her into the upper echelons of the WTA Rankings, and after a sensational season, she returned to Doha this year as the world No 4 and the third seed. Expectations were sky-high as she aimed to replicate her past success, but fate had other plans.
Her match against former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova took a dramatic turn. Despite winning a tightly contested opening set, Anisimova struggled to maintain her momentum against a resilient Pliskova, who was making her comeback after an extended injury layoff. The match reached a pivotal moment when Anisimova was forced to retire with Pliskova leading 5-7, 7-6(3), 4-1.
“Definitely, I think this is not how we want to win, although I felt like we played good tennis throughout those [first] two sets,” Pliskova remarked on the court. “It went long, so you start to feel it a little bit in the body — I also feel it a bit — luckily I’m through to the next round, but hopefully she’s gonna be OK for next week.”
The implications of Anisimova’s retirement are staggering. As the defending champion, she had a hefty 1,000 ranking points to protect. With only 10 points awarded for a first-round exit in a WTA 1000 event, Anisimova is set to lose an astonishing 990 points. This dramatic drop will see her total points plummet to 5,690 when the WTA Rankings are updated next week.
This shift in rankings will see her compatriot Coco Gauff reclaim the US No 1 status, bolstered by her current 6,423 points. Gauff could potentially increase her tally to 7,413 if she clinches the title in Doha. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula, currently ranked No 5 in the world, will also surpass Anisimova despite withdrawing from the event, as her points total stands at 5,953.
Fortunately for Anisimova, she will not fall further in the rankings as no player can surpass her current live points total, even if they were to win the Doha title.
The tennis world will be watching closely to see how Anisimova rebounds from this setback. With her talent and determination, fans are hopeful that she will quickly regain her footing and return stronger than ever in the upcoming tournaments. The pressure is on, and the question remains: how will this shocking retirement affect her journey in the competitive landscape of women’s tennis?
