LONDON – Amanda Anisimova of the United States delivered a stunning upset in a Wimbledon semifinal on Thursday (Friday, July 11, 2025, PH time), defeating top seed Aryna Sabalenka to secure her first-ever Grand Slam finals berth.
The 13th-seeded American will face eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek in the finals.
Anisimova saved 11 of the 14 break points and converted her fourth match point to triumph 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
“It was such a tough match and a little bit of a roller coaster there,” Anisimova said after the match. “I struggled to hold my serve in the second set. It just goes to show when you miss a crucial point or lose a game, the margins are so slim, especially when you’re playing, I mean, the No. 1 in the world.”
“She’s such a tough player. I knew that I had to really dig deep and make as little mistakes as possible. So it’s really hard trying to have to play perfect tennis because that’s the only way to really get the win,” she added.
Sabalenka, who lost the Australian Open and French Open finals this year, blamed her loss mainly on her returns.
“I think it’s obvious that today, returning game was much worse. Like, my returns were much worse compared to the matches before,” she said.
Anisimova will face Swiatek in Saturday’s finals after the Pole eased past former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in the other semifinals.
Swiatek had not reached a final at any level since winning her fifth grand slam title at the French Open last spring, and now she is only one match away from her first senior Wimbledon title.
“Honestly, I never even dreamt it was going to be possible for me to play in the final,” she said after her win.
Swiatek’s strong showing on grass silenced any doubts about her adaptability to the surface. “I’m just super excited. I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I didn’t experience playing well on grass. I feel confident, and I’m just going for it. For sure it’s working,” she said.
Swiatek was in complete control, never allowing Bencic to gain a foothold in their far less dramatic contest, wrapping things up in just 71 minutes.
Her performance included serves up to 119 mph and an impressive 26 winners against only 13 unforced errors.
She boasts a perfect 5-0 record in major finals — four on the French Open’s clay and one on the U.S. Open’s hard courts — but had only reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals once before this tournament.
It’s been over a year since the 24-year-old from Poland last won a title anywhere, contributing to her relinquishing the top ranking to Sabalenka last October and her current No. 8 seeding this fortnight.
Saturday’s winner will become the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon
women’s champion.
Anisimova’s journey has been remarkable. After losing in the semifinals of the 2019 French Open at just 17, she took a break in May 2023, openly discussing her struggles with mental health.
Now, she’s playing some of her best tennis, showcasing crisp groundstrokes, particularly on her backhand. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Anisimova is guaranteed to break into the WTA top 10 for the first time next week. / XINHUA