"Ugly tennis faces are back" - Amanda Anisimova jokes after teaming up with Naomi Osaka for training in Melbourne ahead of Australian Open
Amanda Anisimova and Naomi Osaka hit the courts together for a training session at Melbourne Park on Monday, in preparation for the year's first Grand Slam.
Anisimova and Osaka made highly anticipated returns to the tour last week. The former returned to action at the ASB Classic for the first time since May, having stepped away from pro tennis to address her mental health issues.
She defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round before going down to Marie Bouzkova in round two.
Naomi Osaka also returned to the fray last week in Brisbane, after missing all of 2023 due to her pregnancy. Competing in her first tournament as a mom, the former World No. 1 reached the second round, where she lost to Karolina Pliskova in three sets.
Heading into Melbourne looking to mount a serious title charge, the two were spotted practising together in Melbourne. Anisimova even took to her Instagram account to thank Osaka for the practice, but not before hilariously poking fun at her own face.
"Ugly faces are back," Anisimova wrote. "Thnx for the hit lol."
Anisimova will look to improve on her showing in Melbourne from last year, when she went down in the first round to Marta Kostyuk. She has twice reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. Anisimova even dethroned defending champion Osaka in 2022 in the third round, after saving two match points.
Amanda Anisimova helped charities during her time off
Amanda Anisimova shocked the world in May last year when she announced that she would be taking an indefinite break from tennis, citing burnout and concerns for her mental health.
During her time off, she reportedly honed her artistic side by spending some time painting. She even announced that she would be selling her paintings to help charities, including Feeding America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Preventing Child Abuse America.
She launched a website for her endeavor, which was called "Art for Hope."
"I decided to launch this website dedicated to promoting and protecting mental health in all aspects of life," she wrote.
"I believe that everyone deserves access to resources and support, no matter what their background or circumstances may be," she continued. "I came across the quote, 'We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone,' which is what finally got me to act on something I have wanted to do for a while now!"