Amanda Anisimova surprises Aryna Sabalenka in Wimbledon semifinals

Amanda Anisimova Reaches First Grand Slam Final

Amanda Anisimova is on the brink of her first Grand Slam title.

The 23-year-old, seeded 13th, achieved a significant upset by defeating the top seed, Alina Sabalenka, with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Thursday, marking her first advance to a Grand Slam final.

Anisimova is set to face either Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic in the final on Saturday.

“Honestly, it doesn’t feel real right now,” Anisimova remarked during her on-court interview post-match. “I was really struggling out there. I’m not sure how I managed to pull that off.”

Though Sabalenka claimed the second set and seemed in control, having defeated Anisimova without losing a game in the third, Anisimova rallied by winning four straight games.

She didn’t convert on her first opportunity to seal the match but ultimately secured a career-changing victory against Sabalenka.

The match concluded with a stunning cross-court forehand winner from Anisimova.

Last year, Anisimova was ranked 189th and had once made a name for herself as a rising star by reaching the French Open semi-finals at just 17. However, she hadn’t advanced this far in a Grand Slam since then, until Wimbledon.

After taking a step back from tennis in 2023 for mental health reasons, she also skipped the last three Grand Slam tournaments that year after her early exit at the Australian Open.

In this match-up, Anisimova has a career record of 6-3 against Sabalenka, who had previously defeated her in straight sets earlier this year at the French Open.