Iga trend looms as Anisimova closes chapter with coach Vleeshouwers
iga is visible in a wider pattern after Amanda Anisimova and coach Hendrik Vleeshouwers announced they have parted ways on Friday in a mutual split that ended a nearly two-year partnership; both thanked each other and wished success. The pair linked up in 2024, produced major results across 2024–25 and finished the run with Vleeshouwers named 2025 WTA Coach of the Year. The split leaves Anisimova headed into the clay season without a confirmed replacement.
Split confirmed and immediate facts
Amanda Anisimova, World No. 6 (WTA), and Hendrik Vleeshouwers confirmed the end of their collaboration after almost two years together. The partnership began in 2024 when Anisimova returned from a hiatus and immediately produced strong results late that season. Under Vleeshouwers’ guidance, Anisimova reached multiple high-water marks in 2025: two Grand Slam singles finals at Wimbledon and the US Open and two WTA 1000 titles. Vleeshouwers was named the 2025 WTA Coach of the Year following those achievements.
The duo thanked one another publicly. Amanda Anisimova wrote that “Last year holds so many special moments and achievements together that I will never forget!” and added, “Thank you Rick, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. For seeing and treating me as a human first, before an athlete. That meant the world to me, and made for a great partnership. ” Hendrik Vleeshouwers wrote in his message: “Thanks for all the good times and being you. We have always valued the journey more then the destination and It’s been a privilege to be part of yours. I wish you nothing but success and happiness moving forward and I’ll always be rooting for you. “
Iga and the WTA coaching trend
The timing of the split follows a pattern raised within coverage of the tour: top WTA players have in some cases separated from coaches soon after those coaches won the WTA Coach of the Year award. Names cited alongside that pattern include Iga Świątek and Jessica Pegula as players who have also split with coaches after similar honours were bestowed on their coaches. The phenomenon has prompted scrutiny of high-profile post-award coaching changes across the circuit.
That wider context frames Anisimova’s decision: she and Vleeshouwers met at a pivotal moment in 2024 that produced immediate progress — a near-400-place rise in the PIF WTA Rankings by season’s end, a nomination for the 2024 WTA Comeback Player of the Year after a run to the first WTA 1000 final in Toronto, then a breakthrough 2025 that saw sustained Top 10 status and major finals.
What’s next — for Anisimova and the clay swing
On-court, Anisimova has compiled an 11-6 start to the season with a semifinal in Dubai and a quarterfinal at the Australian Open among early highlights. She is scheduled to begin her clay-court spring at the WTA 500 Credit One Charleston Open, which begins March 30, and no replacement coach has been announced. The split leaves a critical preparatory window before Charleston and raises immediate questions about coaching continuity through the clay swing and into the rest of the season.
iga remains part of the conversation as the tour watches how top players and their teams reset after trophy-laden seasons; attention will turn quickly to Anisimova’s support setup ahead of her Charleston start and whether the pattern of post-award coaching changes continues to shape headline decisions on the circuit.
