Amanda Anisimova won her first WTA 1000 title by defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3 in the Qatar Open final. The match was interrupted by rain but Anisimova stayed focused to secure the biggest win of her career.
At world number 41, Anisimova is the lowest-ranked player to win this tournament. She is also the first American to win the Doha title since Monica Seles in 2002.
A Hard Road to Victory
Anisimova, 23, has faced many challenges in her career. She reached the semi-finals of the 2019 French Open at just 17 years old. However, in May 2023, she took a break from tennis due to burnout and mental health struggles.
She returned at the start of last season, ranked 373 in the world. Now, after months of hard work, she will reach a career-high ranking of 18 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
“This week has been amazing. Winning my first WTA 1000 title is super special,” Anisimova said. “There have been a lot of challenges, but I’m proud of myself.”
A Tough Final Match
The final was the first WTA 1000 championship match between two players ranked outside the top 30. Both Anisimova and Ostapenko played aggressively, hitting powerful shots from the baseline.
Anisimova won the first set 6-4 after breaking Ostapenko’s serve twice. The Latvian made five double faults, which helped Anisimova take the lead.
In the second set, Anisimova broke early but Ostapenko fought back. Rain interrupted play when the score was 3-3. After a 25-minute delay, Anisimova broke serve again and continued her strong play to win in one hour and 21 minutes.
Ostapenko Looks Forward
Ostapenko, 27, had a great tournament despite losing in the final. She defeated world number two Iga Swiatek and top-five player Jasmine Paolini.
However, she struggled with 10 double faults in the final and has now lost all three WTA 1000 finals she has played.
“Of course, this is not the result I wanted today,” Ostapenko said. “But I hope to come back stronger and win this trophy one day.”
