On Saturday, Amanda Anisimova, a 23-year-old American, will face Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon.

For Ms. Anisimova, a one-time prodigy who was born in New Jersey but raised on the sun-splashed tennis courts of Florida, it is the latest and greatest chapter in a big-time comeback.

Not so long ago, Ms. Anisimova was not playing tennis at all. Instead, after announcing in 2023 that she would be taking an indefinite break from being a professional athlete, she decided to sample life as an ordinary 20-something. That self-imposed sabbatical may have been more restorative than anyone could have envisioned.

“When I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game,” Ms. Anisimova said at a news conference on Thursday after she defeated the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in their semifinal match. “Because I did want to come back and still achieve a lot and win a Grand Slam one day.”

As a teen, she climbed the junior rankings by working immensely hard at the game. She even won the 2017 U.S. Open junior title by beating another talented young American — Coco Gauff, now the reigning French Open champion.

In May 2023, Ms. Anisimova announced an indefinite break from tennis. She documented her time off in a series of Instagram stories where she did things like feed goats.Credit…Amanda Anisimova

After her father died, the grind of professional life was taking its toll on her. The break allowed her to live the life of a more normal 21-year-old.Credit…Amanda Anisimova

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