Wimbledon — American Amanda Anisimova stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in Thursday’s Wimbledon semifinal to reach her first Grand Slam final. The 23-year-old fought through multiple breaks in a thrilling three-set battle on Centre Court, completing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
“To be honest, if you told me I would be in the final at Wimbledon, I would not believe you,” Anisimova said. “At least not this soon. It’s been a year turnaround since coming back, to be in this spot, it’s not easy”. The victory makes her the first American to reach a Wimbledon final since Serena Williams won the title in 2016.
Anisimova’s Mental Health Comeback Story
This victory caps an extraordinary journey back to elite tennis for Anisimova. In 2023, she took a break from the tour, saying she had been “struggling with my mental health and burnout” for nearly a year. The decision to step away at age 21 showed remarkable maturity in prioritizing her wellbeing over career pressure.
Anisimova first reached a Grand Slam semifinal at the 2019 French Open at age 17 , but the early success brought intense expectations. Now 23, Anisimova is the youngest American Wimbledon semifinalist since Serena Williams (22) in 2004. Her return to this level demonstrates the value of taking time for mental health recovery.
“This doesn’t feel real right now,” she said in her on-court interview, only just starting to take in everything she’s achieved at Wimbledon these past two weeks. The emotional weight of the moment was clear as she covered her mouth in disbelief after hitting the winning shot.
How She Beat the World No. 1
Anisimova’s victory wasn’t a fluke. She now leads their career head-to-head record 6-3, having beaten Sabalenka on hard courts, clay, and indoor surfaces. Anisimova dominated their early matchups, starting 4-0 against Sabalenka before the Belarusian star reached her current level.
The match turned in the third set when Sabalenka broke Anisimova in the first game before the American answered with a break of her own to regain control. Later, Anisimova broke Sabalenka again to push ahead 3-1 courtesy of the Belarusian star’s ill-timed smash at the net that sailed deep.
Anisimova is now 6-0 in three-set matches this year on grass, showing her mental toughness and ability to close out tight matches. She has won 11 of her past 13 matches since she started her grass-court campaign , including reaching her first WTA grass-court final at Queen’s Club.
Sabalenka’s Wimbledon Struggles Continue
This loss marks another painful Wimbledon disappointment for Sabalenka. It’s also worth noting that Sabalenka failed in her two previous semifinal appearances here, in 2021 and 2023. Despite being the most dominant player in women’s tennis recently, grass remains her most challenging surface.
Sabalenka has been the most dominant player in women’s tennis over the last few years, but grass has been her worst surface. She has never reached the Wimbledon final. With a win against Anisimova, she would have rolled into her fourth consecutive Grand Slam singles final, something we haven’t seen in a decade.
For Sabalenka, it marks her third semifinal defeat at Wimbledon and this one will certainly hurt. The three-time grand slam champion was a break up in the deciding set before getting pushed aside by Anisimova. She left the court immediately after the match, clearly devastated by the loss.
Perfect Grass Court Tennis
Anisimova’s game seems perfectly suited for grass courts. Sabalenka believes that grass “suits her game really well. That’s why she’s playing so well so far. She’s serving well. She’s hitting quite clean and heavy shots”. She’s won more matches on grass this year (11) than any other WTA Tour player.
Her powerful baseline game translates beautifully to the quick grass surface at Wimbledon. Anisimova is serving the ball well, getting broken just one time in the quarterfinals. Her ability to hit through the court with pace gives her advantages over players who rely more on movement and defense.
Family Celebration
The victory was extra special because of family presence. After Pavlyuchenkova walked around the net for an embrace in the quarterfinals, Anisimova was headed over to the stands to pick up Jackson, who arrived in England on Tuesday morning with his mother, who is Anisimova’s sister, and father. Jackson turns 4 on Thursday.
“I’m just super grateful that they flew in and got to experience this with me,” Anisimova said. “It doesn’t happen often, so it’s just super special”. Having family support during this breakthrough moment adds emotional significance to her achievement.
What’s Next for the Final
Anisimova, 23, returns to Centre Court for Saturday’s final against the winner of Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic. She’s trying to become the first American to win a Grand Slam in London since Serena Williams’ seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016.
After her quarterfinal win, Anisimova will make her top 10 debut next week. If she beats her final opponent and advances to win the title, she will likely rise to No. 7. She could climb as high as No. 5 if she wins the title.
The rankings boost reflects how this Wimbledon run has transformed Anisimova’s career trajectory. From taking a mental health break to reaching her first Grand Slam final in just over a year represents one of tennis’s most inspiring comeback stories. Win or lose on Saturday, she’s already achieved something remarkable by getting this far.
