Amanda Anisimova, who was outstanding on the WTA Tour in 2025, has found it difficult to recapture that same form so far this year.
The American had a memorable campaign last year, reaching two Grand Slam finals and picking up several WTA 1000 titles along the way.
But her start to 2026 hasn't gone as smoothly, with a string of early exits from tournaments.
This led to Friday's announcement that she and her coach of almost two years, Hendrik Vleeshouwers, have decided to go their separate ways.
Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images
Amanda Anisimova's career has seen a significant shift over the past 12 months.
Once an emerging talent looking to break into the upper ranks, the 24-year-old is now viewed as one of the standout players on the WTA Tour.
With that rise in profile, expectations have naturally grown, and her performances are now under closer scrutiny than before.
Roddick pointed out how those expectations have evolved when discussing her recent split with her coach and her form this season.
"With Anisimova it's amazing how quickly expectations reset," Roddick said on the Served Podcast. "If she is 9-6 at the beginning of last year, it's a pretty good start to the year, based on you not being main draw of Wimbledon the year before.
"Now, a couple of Slams later, and you want to make that jump to number one, two or three and there is a lack of consistency when you are comparing to six months ago. It all changes a little bit."
Amanda Anisimova kicked off her 2026 season at the Australian Open, making it to the quarter-finals before falling to Jessica Pegula.
She then travelled to Qatar, where she had to retire from her first-round match against Karolina Pliskova due to illness.
Anisimova found better form in Dubai, advancing to the semi-finals but again losing out to Pegula.
The American continued her run with back-to-back fourth-round finishes in Indian Wells and Miami. However, results since then have been less consistent, which likely played a part in her decision to split from coach Hendrik Vleeshouwers earlier this week.
Amanda Anisimova was scheduled to take part in the Charleston Open after her Miami Open exit but has since pulled out due to a hip issue.
The decision comes after she picked up the injury in Miami and chose to focus on recovery instead.
"I'm really sorry to have to miss this year's Charleston Open," Anisimova said in a statement released by tournament organisers. "I picked up an injury at the Miami Open and after taking medical advice, I've made the difficult decision to withdraw and focus on my recovery.
"I've always loved playing in front of the fans in Charleston, the support there means so much to me. I hope to be back and see you all next year."
The event is set to wrap up on April 5, with world number five Jessica Pegula entering as the top seed.
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