Jangling with nerves before the then-biggest match of her life at Wimbledon last year, American tennis star Amanda Anisimova pulled out her phone and sent a text message. As her high-stakes semi-final against world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka approached, she felt there was only one person who could help—her best friend, Australian player Priscilla Hon.
“I think I asked her, ‘Can I come see you for 10 minutes?’,” Anisimova shared with this publication. “I was so nervous, and I needed someone to calm me down and get me out of my irrational mindset. Obviously, I have my team for that, but I wanted to talk to a friend, someone different, to kind of get the stress out and see a face who has been a support for me.”
Anisimova upset Sabalenka in a cliffhanger three-setter, with Hon watching from her player box, setting up a final clash with Iga Swiatek. Swiatek went on to capture her maiden Wimbledon championship without dropping a game—the first such final result at the All England Club since 1911—in what many feared might be a back-breaking loss for Anisimova, who was again besieged by nerves.
A Friendship Forged on the Court
The origin of Anisimova and Hon’s friendship dates back to a qualifying match they played in San Jose in 2018. Barely a month later, they crossed paths again at a tournament in Hiroshima, Japan. Anisimova asked Hon for a pre-tournament hit, and the rest is history. The practice session went so well that Anisimova wondered if they could be practice partners for the entire week.
“Pri was like, ‘What? Why would we hit every single day?’,” Anisimova recalled, laughing. “But we really got on at that practice—and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
In a cut-throat tennis world where players often view each other only as foes, Anisimova and Hon are kindred spirits. They repeatedly reference each other’s support in press conferences, although typically only as “my best friend”.
Overcoming Challenges and Setting New Goals
Anisimova shocked the world again, turning the tables on Swiatek not even two months later in the US Open quarter-finals on her way to making another major final: this time a tight defeat to Sabalenka. “It was unpleasant at times because so many people were constantly bringing it up, and even the day that I had to play her at US Open, they were showing replays of the final on every single TV,” Anisimova said.
“But I am a person who loves challenges and seeing if I can do the impossible, I guess … I think that has always helped me in those high-stress situations. That’s why I love this sport—because you’re always facing obstacles like that, and I find a lot of thrill in it.”
Anisimova proved it was no fluke, repeating the dose on Swiatek in the round-robin stage of the WTA finals in November. “I messaged her after the Wimbledon final,” Hon said. “Because the last thing you want is for her to be down. She literally just made a final. Yeah, it sucks how it went, but how insane that she even got there … then to that quickly turn around [and beat Swiatek] shows how strong she is, mentally.”
Looking Ahead: New Challenges and Aspirations
At age 27 and after injury and personal setbacks, Hon’s top-100 breakthrough in October was significant. However, she dreams of being in the same elite company on court as Anisimova and Muchova. “After my US Open result, then Beijing as well, I felt a lot more that I belonged,” Hon said. “I definitely believe that I can be [a top player]. As long as I’m healthy, my mentality going into matches is very different now.”
As for world No.3 Anisimova’s self-professed “tainted” Wimbledon experience, she hopes to one day rewrite history with a more favorable memory. There was an unfortunate reminder about a month ago when a package arrived at her home. Anisimova hoped it was the shoes she had ordered, only for it to actually be a teary photo from Wimbledon—sent by a well-meaning tournament official—that has become a meme on social media.
But first things first, the 24-year-old, who also made the Roland-Garros semi-finals at age 17 in 2019, would love to win her maiden slam title at this month’s Australian Open. “I’ve had nothing but great memories every time I’ve gone to Australia, and I really love playing here,” she said.
“I always get to see Darren, too, which is a plus. He’s a great coach and a great person. The time zone is a bit difficult because I don’t get to really talk to my family, but I love it, and it would be a dream to win the Australian Open one day.”