Is Taking a Break From Tennis the Same as Quitting?

Stepping away isn't quitting. Sometimes it's the move that saves a career. In May 2023, Amanda Anisimova announced an indefinite break from the tour, writing, "I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022." She came back in January 2024. In 2025 she reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals. If you're tired of tennis right now, here's what the pros' breaks and the doctors' guidance actually say.

"Never longer than two weeks"

Anisimova explained it simply in 2024: "I honestly never took a break that was longer than two weeks in my life. I just needed that, as a human being, to just rest for once and let my body recover." She returned in Auckland on January 1, 2024, after eight months away.

Then came the best season of her life. In 2025 she reached two Grand Slam finals, won her first two WTA 1000 titles and finished the year at No. 4. In January 2026 she hit a career-high No. 3. After her Wimbledon semifinal win in July 2025, she said, "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."

Barty went and played cricket

Ash Barty stepped away in 2014, at 18. "It was too much too quickly for me," she said, after years of travel. She spent 21 months away and played cricket for the Brisbane Heat, with teammates who "couldn't care less whether I could hit a tennis ball or not." She came back in 2016.

After her 2019 French Open title she explained why it worked: "I needed time to step away, to live a normal life, because this tennis life certainly isn't normal." And this: "I never closed any doors or said, 'I'm never playing tennis again.'" She went on to win Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022, and spent 114 straight weeks at No. 1.

Every break is different

Not every break is about burnout. Kim Clijsters retired in 2007 because of injuries, then came back in 2009 and won the US Open as an unseeded wild card in only her third tournament back. Anisimova's 2026 season ended early with a wrist injury, a different kind of break. The reason matters less than the plan for getting back.

What doctors recommend

The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2024 guidance encourages young athletes to take at least 1 to 2 days off per week from competition and sport-specific training. It also recommends at least 2 to 3 months away from any one sport during the year, and says those breaks can be split into one-month blocks. You can stay active. You just step away from tennis for a stretch each year.

A USTA guide built on tips from Christina McHale, who played on the WTA Tour, puts it this way: "Athletes need at least one day of rest and recovery per week... sometimes a true break from the sport is necessary."

A bad week, or something more?

A bad week usually bounces back with a few days off. Something more often doesn't. The AAP describes burnout as emotional or physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment and losing interest in the sport. The signs it lists include fatigue, losing motivation, trouble sleeping, irritability and enjoying the sport less. If those hang around for weeks, talk to a parent, a coach you trust and your doctor.

If you take a break, take it on purpose. Tell your coach what you're doing and pick a date to check back in. Play another sport, see your friends, sleep. Parents, how you talk about it matters as much as what you say in the car after a loss. And when you're back, build a schedule with real rest in it. How many tournaments a junior should play is a good place to start.