Why Amanda Anisimova can win the French Open

Amanda Anisimova has nothing to lose. The 17-year-old is in her second consecutive Grand Slam. She has not yet dropped a set at Roland-Garros, which includes a dominant victory over the world No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka. Along with the Australian Open, the young American will have the opportunity to win her ticket to her first quarter-final at a major.

But this time, Anisimova is in a position where she can compete for the title Roland Garros.

"I had never spent a round at the French Open before, so it's obviously a super special," said Anisimova. "He feels good."

Amanda Anisimova has been training all her life for the Grand Slam

Not long ago, Anisimova bought a tennis racket for the first time. His father, Konstantin, was a tennis coach and a young Amanda was inspired by his sister to get into the sport.

"When I was little, she played tennis. I always saw it playing and I wanted to do it too. That's how I felt like my parents, "said Anisimova.

Anisimova was born and raised in New Jersey, but her parents moved the family to Florida to give her more opportunities to play tennis. This decision has proven extremely effective. Anisimova climbed into the junior rankings, eventually finishing second. She was going to win the Junior US Open in 2017 and become the first American women's finalist at the French Open in 14 years.

During the professional tour, Anisimova's young career continued to flourish. She won a match against one of the top 150 opponents by the age of 15. At the age of 16, she defeated Petra Kvitova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, at the 2018 Open BNP Paribas at Indian Wells. At the 2019 Australian Open, it was not surprising to witness the defeat of the girl Aryna Sabalenka, one of the favorites to win the title. At such a young age, having success against his best opponents gave him the confidence and conviction that a Grand Slam is soon within reach.

"I mean, it's always hard to play with someone after you've already done it," said Anisimova after defeating Sabalenka in Paris. "I'm just trying to regroup and forget the story and play for a new game."

The rest of the Roland Garros score favorable for Anisimova

At the opening of the French Open, Anisimova struggled a lot. She had not followed the success in Melbourne and had suffered a severe defeat against Anett Kontaveit in Miami. While a teenager's confidence could subside after such a devastating defeat, Anisimova rallied after a one-on-one conversation with Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam, Grand Slam champion.

"It was a very long game and I was very upset in the locker room, Serena came to see me and we exchanged a few words," said Anisimova. "It was really kind of him, and I'll remember it forever."

Anisimova entered the French Open after winning her first WTA title in Bogota. With his dominant serve and powerful ground strikes at Roland Garros, there should not be much surprise if the young American can compete for the title. His next match is against Aliona Bolsova, who is a qualification with nowhere near the power of Anisimova. Then, Anisimova should eventually attract Simona Halep, champion of the French Open last year, who is still competing without a coach. The semi-finals could potentially be American, as Anisimova would face Madison Keys. Keys has struggled on clay courts this season and plays directly into Anisimova's aggressive play style.

The only player on the opposite side of the Grand Slam draw is fellow American Sloane Stephens. But she underperformed this season after being a finalist in Paris a year ago.

Age should not count to weigh the chances of Anisimova to win a Grand Slam. If Monica Seles manages to win the French Open at 16, Amanda Anisimova can certainly beat the chances of winning in Paris as a teenager. She is ready to storm the world of tennis.