WIMBLEDON, England — A year ago, Amanda Anisimova was in Miami, spending time with friends and intentionally avoiding her phone. She definitely wasn`t checking the Wimbledon scores. After a “heartbreaking” loss in the final round of Wimbledon qualifying and failing to win a single match on grass in Europe, she had no desire to watch the tournament and even took several days off from practice.
Anisimova had recently returned from an eight-month break for mental health reasons and was finding it tough to regain her form and position in the sport. Some had doubted her ability to return to the top, especially after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022, and at that point, their doubts seemed justified.
But things are different now.
On Thursday, however, in intense heat on Centre Court, the 13th seed Anisimova achieved a stunning upset against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. This remarkable victory propelled her into her first-ever Grand Slam final. The crowd, visibly tense during the final set, erupted in a thunderous ovation after the two-hour, 37-minute match concluded.
Anisimova herself admitted her surprise. “Honestly, if you told me I`d be in the Wimbledon final, I wouldn`t have believed it,” the 23-year-old Anisimova stated right after the match. “Certainly not this quickly. It`s been a year since my return, and reaching this point hasn`t been easy. So many players dream of competing on this amazing court. It`s been an incredible honor to play here, and being in the final is truly indescribable.”
Now, Anisimova faces five-time major winner Iga Swiatek on Saturday, with a chance to claim her first career Grand Slam title.
Anisimova`s early potential was clear; she won the US Open junior title in 2017 and reached her first major semifinal at the French Open in 2019 at just 17. After her success in Paris, she rose just outside the top 20 rankings, drawing comparisons to Maria Sharapova and attracting significant endorsement deals.
However, tragedy struck months after her Roland Garros run when her father and longtime coach passed away unexpectedly. She withdrew from the US Open. The sport was then halted for months by the pandemic, followed by a positive COVID-19 test that kept her out of the 2021 Australian Open.
She experienced a brief resurgence in 2022, reaching the fourth round at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, but then suffered a broken toe. Upon her return in 2023, her performance dipped, winning only two main draw matches across seven events to start the year.
By May 2023, citing that tennis had become “unbearable,” she announced she was stepping away from the sport. At that point, she hadn`t won a match in months and her ranking had fallen to No. 46.
During her break, she pursued activities she couldn`t while constantly traveling for tournaments. She spent time with loved ones in Miami, dedicated herself to painting, volunteered at a dog shelter, and even took college courses.
“[It was] necessary to reset my life and career,” Anisimova commented. “It was simply something I had to do for myself.”
By July 2023, she began training with performance coach Ricard Cesari twice a week. Their sessions gradually intensified as Anisimova became increasingly determined to make her return. “She was committed to playing in Australia and getting into the best possible shape,” Cesari shared last year. “She was highly motivated and knew her goals.”
And she delivered.
Starting the 2024 Australian Open ranked No. 442, Anisimova entered using a protected ranking. Despite initial rust, she reached the fourth round, securing impressive wins against the 13th seed, Liudmila Samsonova, and Paula Badosa. Her comeback was more successful than she had even anticipated.
However, as Anisimova knew from experience, progress isn`t always linear. She didn`t play again until April, and her clay court season saw only two wins across four tournaments. Her limited play kept her ranking too low for automatic Wimbledon qualification. Undeterred, Anisimova focused on the hard court season.
Her dedication yielded results. After qualifying, she reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open in early August, followed by the biggest final of her career at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open. Although she lost in the first round of the 2024 US Open, she finished the year back inside the top 40.
In February, she claimed her most significant title to date at the WTA 1000 Qatar Open. She reached the fourth round at the 2025 French Open and made her first grass court final at Queen`s Club the previous month.
But her achievements at Wimbledon this year surpass everything else.
Anisimova began her Wimbledon campaign dominantly with a swift 6-0, 6-0 victory over Yulia Putintseva in just 44 minutes. Since then, her path has been tougher, requiring deciding sets in the third and fourth rounds and winning a tight tiebreak (9-7) to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
“She played exceptionally well today,” Pavlyuchenkova commented afterward.
Despite Anisimova`s strong performance leading up to the semifinals, Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time major winner aiming for her fourth straight Slam final, was widely favored and had the best tournament odds. Although Anisimova held a 5-3 head-to-head advantage and possesses the power to challenge Sabalenka, Sabalenka had won their recent French Open match 7-5, 6-3 and appeared to be in superior form.
Yet, amidst the near-record heat and minimal breeze, Anisimova battled through, overcoming both her opponent and the challenging conditions.
Despite two pauses in the first set due to medical issues in the crowd, Anisimova secured the crucial first break towards the end, taking the set lead after a Sabalenka double fault. However, Sabalenka, known for her resilience, elevated her game in the second set. She then broke Anisimova in the opening game of the decider, seemingly setting the stage for her to pull ahead.
But Anisimova immediately broke back. From that point, the American mostly dictated play. Despite moments of tension, impressive rallies, and requiring four match points, Anisimova finally secured the win, becoming the first American woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2019.
“I gave my absolute best,” Sabalenka stated post-match. “I left everything out there… I think she was the braver player today. While I was trying to just keep the point alive, she was going for her shots – playing more aggressively.”
As the crowd resettled, a disappointed Sabalenka had already left the court for the locker room. Anisimova, meanwhile, remained on court, absorbing the moment and looking towards her box where her family, including her young nephews, watched.
“Honestly, this feels surreal right now,” Anisimova told the audience. “Aryna is such a difficult opponent, and I was exhausted out there. I`m not sure how I managed to win. She`s truly an amazing competitor and inspires me and many others. We`ve had so many challenging matches, and to win today and reach the Wimbledon final is just incredibly special.”
Anisimova, set to enter the top 10 for the first time next week, marks the fourth consecutive American woman to reach a Grand Slam final, following Jessica Pegula (US Open), Madison Keys (Australian Open), and Coco Gauff (French Open). She now aims to replicate Keys` and Gauff`s success and continue the American sweep of the season`s major titles.
Five-time major champion Iga Swiatek has finally made her mark on grass during this tournament. Previously, she hadn`t advanced beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, but she has been dominant this year, dropping only one set on her way to the final. In the other semifinal on Thursday, she convincingly defeated Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0.
Interestingly, this will be the first senior tour-level encounter between Anisimova and Swiatek. Their only previous match was in the 2016 Junior Fed Cup final, where Swiatek won 6-4, 6-2, contributing to Poland`s victory.
Anisimova`s coaches recognized Swiatek`s talent early on, predicting she would be “a big deal one day.” Now, both players have the opportunity to make history by winning their first Wimbledon title. Anisimova acknowledges the difficulty of facing an “unbelievable player” but is eager for the “battle.”
“I`m going to go out there, enjoy every moment, and try not to focus on the stakes,” Anisimova stated.
Regardless of the outcome, she hopes her achievements since returning from her break will demonstrate that such a comeback is possible, especially to those who doubted her. “I believe it shows that it`s achievable,” Anisimova told the press. “It`s a message I feel proud to convey. When I took my break, many people told me I wouldn`t reach the top again after being away for so long. That was tough to hear because I truly wanted to return, achieve success, and eventually win a Grand Slam.”
“Being able to prove that you can return to the highest level by prioritizing your well-being has been incredibly meaningful to me. It truly means a lot.”
