Amanda Anisimova has parted ways with coach Rick Vleeshouwers, the world number six announced on Instagram on Friday, bringing an end to a partnership that delivered two of the most memorable results of her career. The split comes after a difficult start to 2026 that has failed to match the heights of an extraordinary previous season.
Vleeshouwers joined Anisimova midway through the 2024 season, and the results improved rapidly from that point. Together they won two WTA 1000 titles, reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals, and climbed to a career-high ranking of world number three.
The partnership peaked at Wimbledon 2025, where Anisimova reached the final before being beaten heavily by Iga Swiatek. She showed her resilience by reaching the US Open final a few months later, where, despite losing to Aryna Sabalenka, she produced a more competitive performance.
The 2026 season, however, has told a different story. Anisimova reached the Australian Open quarterfinals before suffering early exits in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami. Her best result of the year was a semifinal finish in Dubai. Her exit at Miami came in the fourth round, where she was beaten by Belinda Bencic.
In her Instagram post announcing the split, Anisimova wrote: “It’s been quite the ride and journey together. Last year holds so many special moments and achievements together that I will never forget. We picked up some trophies and incredible milestones, but all the laughs and behind-the-scenes moments I’ll carry with me even more. Thank you, Rick, for everything you’ve done for me.”
Vleeshouwers responded warmly. “All good things come to an end, and today marks the closing of an incredible chapter,” he wrote. “I’m incredibly proud of what we built, but even more for the journey we shared along the way: the hard work, new experiences, challenges, laughs, and all those moments behind the scenes that people don’t always see. I’ll always carry those memories with me.”
Anisimova is set to compete as the second seed at the Charleston Open, which begins this week, though it appears she will begin her clay campaign without a new coach in place. She has opted not to enter the events in Linz or Stuttgart, instead taking a break before the WTA 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome — a window that may be when she makes her next coaching appointment.
While much of her recent success has come on grass and hard courts, it is worth remembering that her breakthrough came on clay at Roland Garros in 2019. With the French Open approaching, the timing of the change adds an extra layer of uncertainty to what is already a disrupted season for one of the tour’s most watchable players.
