Amanda Anisimova has been one of the names making the most headlines recently by reaching the Wimbledon final, achieving a career-high so far. The 23-year-old American player triumphed over Aryna Sabalenka in a hard-fought match that ended with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. This upset victory earned her a place in the final. Trumping it all, though, was that it made her the first American player to get this far at Wimbledon since Venus Williams did so six years ago.
Anisimova, the 13th seed of the tournament, showed great poise and determination during the match. She had a wobbly history in her last five trips to Wimbledon, failing to get past the quarterfinals. She showed why she is a former junior champion at this famous venue. That semifinal against Sabalenka was incredibly tense, riveting with momentum shifts and both women clawing back for every point.
Anisimova’s road to the final was far from easy. In May of this year, she announced that she was taking a year off from competitive tennis to deal with burnout and mental health issues. This rest boosted her mood as well. Today, she takes on the pressures of high-stakes competition with confidence on one of the sport’s greatest stages.
In her upset of second seeded Halep in the semi-final match-up Anisimova started out heavily on top, winning the first set and 3-0 to start. As the match continued, she experienced a mental shakeup and dropped hold of the second set. At one stage she wasted a match point before finally closing out her stunning victory over Sabalenka.
With the added pressure and sweltering on-court temps above 31 degrees Celsius, Anisimova’s focus was pushed to the limit. The burden of the expectations, at times, almost crushed her under their weight. This had to bring her back to her 2019 experience at Roland Garros, when she held a 2-KO lead over Ash Barty but found a way to lose anyway.
It wasn’t just sportsmanship that filled all of these match highlights. In 2019, Anisimova was skewered online for not giving credit to a lucky point that resulted from a net chord. Her unapologetic attitude raised the ire of many fans and analysts alike. They figured they could count on athletes at a collegial national stage—speaking of privilege—to show a little more poise.
“It’s the first time and I’m super excited,” – Amanda Anisimova
As she looks ahead to the final match up against Poland’s Iga Swiatek, Anisimova is still keeping her eyes on the prize. All tournament long, people have referred to her as the underdog. Her clean, precise power-shots have forever trumped opponents of a higher seeding.
Sabalenka, who lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final, has been deeply reflective of her own issues with controlling emotions during matches.
Anisimova’s arrival at this critical juncture in her career is a study in focus, firepower and recovery. Her voyage has become one of the most uplifting stories in women’s tennis, proof that determination and resilience can pave the way to remarkable success against all odds.
“Every time when I was really that close today to completely lose it and start yelling, screaming, smashing the racquets, I kept reminding myself that’s not an option,” – Aryna Sabalenka
As Anisimova approaches this pivotal moment in her career, she embodies both determination and resilience. Her journey serves as an inspiring narrative in women’s tennis, showcasing how tenacity can lead to unexpected triumphs.
