90 spray cans later, Anisimova gets a mural at Miami Open

MIAMI -- The Miami Open has always held a special place in Amanda Anisimova's heart.

She grew up going to Crandon Park -- the former site of the tournament -- as a kid, idolizing her favorite players and spending entire days on the grounds. She never dreamed that she'd one day play this tournament, much less be one of the title contenders. But now she's a star attraction -- so much so that there's a mural of her at Hard Rock Stadium.

The World No. 6, who in 2017 made her WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz main-draw debut here in a full circle moment, was surprised when she first saw a picture of the mural, thinking it might be AI.

But then she saw a fan post a photo standing in front of it. And when her agent sent it to her, she knew that it was the real deal.

"They chose me, which is like ... wow," Anisimova, who lives in nearby Miami Beach, told reporters during media day on Tuesday. "That's crazy. I'm very honored. It's so, so cool. I was not expecting that at all. It was a complete surprise. Hopefully I'll be able to go and see it one of these days in person."

According to an Instagram post from mural artist Johann Aven, who painted the mural, the work of art required 90 spray cans, 58 colors and 60 hours. It took six days to complete.

Seeded sixth, Anisimova received a first-round bye and will play Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round on Thursday. Anisimova has failed to beat the Australian in two previous tries, though they haven't played since 2021.

This is the two-time Grand Slam finalist's eighth career appearance at the Miami Open. Her best result came last year, when she snapped Mirra Andreeva's 13-match winning streak before losing to Emma Raducanu in the fourth round.