By D`Arcy Maine
WIMBLEDON, England — Amanda Anisimova collapsed onto the grass on her knees. She stayed there for a moment before getting up and wiping away tears or sweat as she smiled. After a six-year gap and a break focused on mental well-being, she had reached another major semifinal. Her hard-fought 6-1, 7-6 (9) victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Tuesday secured her spot.
Hours later, the 23-year-old American couldn`t hide her enthusiasm speaking to reporters.
“I feel like everything has been clicking for me, and I`ve been feeling more and more confident with each tournament I`ve played this year,” said Anisimova, the No. 13 seed. “So I feel like my confidence is pretty high. On top of that, I`m just enjoying every moment.”
Her victory marked a contrast to that of her opponent in Thursday`s semifinal.
Shortly before Anisimova clinched her spot, Aryna Sabalenka came back to defeat Laura Siegemund on Centre Court 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in just under three hours. The 27-year-old Sabalenka, the tournament`s top seed, has reached four consecutive major semifinals and advanced to the round in 10 of her past 11 Grand Slam tournaments. She holds a remarkable 12-1 career record in quarterfinals, the second-best mark among women in the Open era, behind only Chris Evert.
On paper, the match between Anisimova and Sabalenka might seem like a lopsided, David vs. Goliath affair. However, in reality, it could be a compelling clash between two well-matched opponents who hit the ball with significant power.
Here’s everything you need to know entering the semifinal, and what to expect from both players.
Familiar Foes
While Sabalenka boasts three major titles and has been the world No. 1 since October, it`s actually Anisimova who leads their overall head-to-head series. (We told you not to be fooled by their résumés!) In eight career meetings, Anisimova has won five times, including their first two major encounters.
Since the start of the 2024 season and Anisimova`s return, Sabalenka has emerged victorious in two of their three matches, most recently in the fourth round at the French Open last month. Three of their head-to-head showdowns have gone to a deciding set, and both Sabalenka and Anisimova used the word “tough” when describing what it will be like to face each other.
Sabalenka predicted it would be “very aggressive tennis” and called their previous matches “battles.”
Anisimova seemed to agree and was excited for the opportunity again on one of the sport`s biggest stages.
“I know she`s going to be playing some amazing tennis,” Anisimova added during her news conference Tuesday. “I mean, there`s nobody better that I can play other than her. I`m really looking forward to the experience. I mean, I`m going to be playing against a No. 1 in a semifinal of Wimbledon, so it`s going to be really special.”
Their Last Meeting
During their match in Paris last month, Sabalenka was the favorite, but Anisimova reminded everyone of her capabilities on clay, having reached the Roland Garros semis as a teenager. Sabalenka initially took a 4-1 lead, appearing set to cruise. But Anisimova refused to back down, becoming more aggressive and raising her level to level the set at 5-all. Sabalenka, however, relied heavily on her strong serve, hitting three aces in one game late in the set and 11 overall, to clinch the opener in 50 minutes.
While Anisimova matched Sabalenka`s power for much of the match, she lacked Sabalenka`s improved variety and versatility. Anisimova saved six match points on serve, but Sabalenka ultimately won 7-5, 6-3. Sabalenka later told reporters in Paris that changing the rhythm was a key part of her strategy against Anisimova.
But grass is a different surface, and the two have never played on it. Sabalenka believes this could present a new challenge.
“I definitely think this surface suits her game really well,” Sabalenka said Tuesday. “That`s why she`s playing so well so far. She`s serving well. She`s hitting quite clean and heavy shots.”
Sabalenka’s Quest for Major Title No. 4
Few players have been as consistent on tour over the past few seasons as Sabalenka. In addition to her impressive record at Grand Slams, her long tenure as world No. 1 (she currently holds a significant lead in live rankings) and seven titles since the start of 2024, Sabalenka has reached the final at the last three major tournaments.
“[She] is No. 1 in the world for a reason,” said Emma Raducanu after Sabalenka defeated her in the third round.
Despite winning the US Open in September, Sabalenka lost in the finals at the Australian Open (where she was the two-time defending champion) and the French Open. Following her tough three-set loss to Coco Gauff in Paris, Sabalenka stated she learned from the experience, referencing it during her quarterfinal match against Siegemund on Tuesday.
“Honestly, I think there`s a big possibility that I would have lost this match if I didn`t learn that lesson at the French Open,” Sabalenka said. “In some moments I keep reminding myself, `Come on, it`s the quarterfinal of Wimbledon, you cannot give up, you cannot let the emotions just take over you and lose another match.`”
“I was just reminding myself that it`s my dream, why would I give up so easily, so I have to keep fighting. Basically that`s it. I was keep telling myself that, and I was willing to, yeah, win points, to push myself and to get those tough points.”
Wimbledon remains the only major where Sabalenka has not yet reached the final, and it`s clear achieving this goal would mean a lot to her, especially after her recent finals losses in Melbourne and Paris.
Anisimova’s Rise Back to the Top
Anisimova`s early career was marked by significant highs and lows. After a successful junior career, winning the US Open girl`s title in 2017, she won her first WTA title and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros as a 17-year-old in 2019. However, she withdrew from the US Open that year following the death of her father, who was also her longtime coach.
She had other successes, including reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022 and winning a 250-level title in Melbourne that same year. But in May 2023, she described tennis as “unbearable” and announced an indefinite break from the sport.
“I`ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,” Anisimova, then ranked No. 46, wrote. “… At this point my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I`ve worked as hard as I could to push through it.”
After several months away, she returned. In her second tournament back, she reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, losing to Sabalenka. Due to her ranking dropping outside the top 400 during her absence, she played sparingly initially and even needed to play Wimbledon qualifying, where she lost in the final round.
But this season, Anisimova has rediscovered, and perhaps even surpassed, her previous form. She won the biggest title of her career at the 1000-level Qatar Open in February and reached her first grass final at Queen`s Club last month. She called her comeback a “bit of a roller coaster” Tuesday but credited her break and everything she has experienced for bringing her to this point.
“I feel like that [break] really served me, definitely,” Anisimova said. “Coming out of that break, it wasn`t all upward. There were definitely some ups and downs… It`s not easy. I definitely had to find my way back, really work on the fitness side, and definitely get in my hours of training. Yeah, I mean, it`s been a journey. I feel like since last summer, it`s really trended upwards for me. I finally found my game and my confidence.”
Following her quarterfinal win, Anisimova will make her top 10 debut next week. If she beats Sabalenka and advances to her first Grand Slam final, she will likely rise to No. 7. A title win could see her climb as high as No. 5.
Who Could Be Waiting in the Final
During the second day of quarterfinal action Wednesday, No. 8 seed and five-time major champion Iga Swiatek defeated No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5. In the other quarterfinal, the resurgent and unseeded Belinda Bencic bested No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6(3), 7-6(2).
Sabalenka and Swiatek have been among the best on tour in recent years and have met in many memorable finals, but they have never played in a major final. During the French Open, Sabalenka defeated Swiatek, the reigning three-time champion, in the semifinals 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0. A long-awaited Slam final between the two, at perhaps the unlikeliest of tournaments for both, would be compelling.
Of course, an Anisimova-Bencic final – a showdown between two players recently returned and looking for their first major title – could also be fascinating. Or, for that matter, any combination of finalists could provide a great match.
One thing is certain: Wimbledon will crown a new, first-time women`s champion on Saturday.
