Amanda Anisimova will likely wake up filled with sadness and regret after losing her second successive Grand Slam final last night.
And those feelings will not be conjured due to her underperformance or failure to compete with Aryna Sabalenka for the US Open title.
It is just a natural reaction to losing such a high-profile, high-stakes clash.
Naturally, many have rushed to praise her for a stunning two weeks, and rightly so.
However, there is one thing that she has heard on repeat ever since losing the match, which is likely to be little comfort to her now.
What everyone has said to Amanda Anisimova after losing the US Open final
It was actually Sabalenka herself who first made this claim, as she noted in her post-match on-court interview: “I know how much it hurts losing in the final, but trust me, the moment you are going to win your first one – and you are going to win it – you are playing incredible tennis.
“And, girl, you are going to enjoy it even more after this tough loss in the finals.”
This prompted many pundits to echo that sentiment, with Darren Cahill predicting a bright future for Anisimova too: “Nothing but up for Amanda. She’s absolutely committed herself to this sport. She’s training harder than ever. Mentally, she’s in the game, she wants it more desperately than ever, and she’s going to win major titles, in my opinion.”
Even Marion Bartoli, speaking on Sky Sports, insisted Amanda Anisimova will win a major title in the future ‘without a doubt’.
These are meant to be comforting words, but will likely only add insult to injury for the 24-year-old who is now a two-time Grand Slam finalist, but not a winner.
Amanda Anisimova may not get another chance
Whilst it is a fair comment to predict her to win a major title in the future, and there’s no reason to believe that she won’t, there are no guarantees in this sport.
For all we know, this summer marked her last big opportunity in a final, and that chance will never come again.
Stars like Ons Jabeur offer the perfect, heartbreaking example of how close someone can come to ultimate glory, and then see that chance dwindle over the years after it.
Anisimova is a young, supremely talented individual, and will surely be back at this stage again.
But her feelings of sadness and regret are valid, and are not expunged by people telling her that she’ll be back.
She likely won’t appreciate hearing the same stock phrases on repeat when she doesn’t know what the future holds. For all we know, this was her last chance.
Hopefully, Anisimova can overcome the demons gained over the summer and prove that notion wrong.
