Amanda Anisimova was sweating it out on a practice court in preparation for the Canadian Open, but what turned heads was who was in her corner during the training session. Hendrik Vleesehouwers was back in the former World No.3’s corner, as the duo seemingly rejoined forces after a three-month gap.

After almost two seasons together, Anisimova and Vleesehouwers went their separate ways after the Sunshine Double this year. This was a surprise move given that she played her best under the Dutch coach. Anisimova entered into a brief partnership with Sebastian Sachs for the natural surfaces, but that did not fare any better, as she crashed out in the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon. This might have prompted Anisimova to go back to a familiar face.

Vleesehouwers joined Anisimova’s team at a critical point in the American’s career during the 2024 season. Anisimova was making a comeback after taking a mental health break in 2023, and the American’s ranking had taken such a hit that she had to play qualifying at Wimbledon. However, it was the hard-court swing in North America that saw her form revive, as she reached the quarterfinals in Washington as a qualifier and then finished runner-up at the Canadian Open.

That form in late 2024 under Vleesehouwers laid the foundation for an excellent 2025 for Anisimova, which saw her win WTA 1000 titles in Doha and Beijing and reach consecutive Major finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. Her season-long dominance saw her qualify for the WTA Finals for the first time, and she reached the career-best ranking of No.3 this year.

Returning to a former coach has worked for other players in the past, as the notable example of Angelique Kerber and Torben Beltz has shown. Beltz left the Germans’ camp after coaching her in the initial years, but when he came back in 2016, Kerber won two Major titles. The duo had excellent results in 2021 as well, when they rejoined one more time for the last phase of Kerber’s career.

Going back to Vleesehouwers could be a game-changer for Anisimova, as she started working with the Dutchman when she was in the doldrums in terms of her ranking and form, and therefore has mutual trust with him. In an act of great mental resilience, Anisimova recovered from a double bagel loss in the Wimbledon final and reached the US Open final last year, with the support of Vleesehouwers. The pair did not give a clear reason for their split in the first place, and a reunion could do wonders for both.

As far as tournaments go, there could not be a more apt place for the Anisimova-Vleesehouwers partnership to relaunch itself than the Canadian Open. This event was the first step in Anisimova’s comeback in 2024, as she defeated Anna Kalinskaya, Emma Navarro, and Aryna Sabalenka to reach the final. She came up short against Jessica Pegula in the final, but the Toronto campaign was the first success for Anisimova under Vleesehouwers, something the duo will be keen to replicate this year as well.