Sabalenka Falls in Wimbledon Semi-Final Against Anisimova

Alina Sabalenka had quite the moment after her unexpected defeat in the Wimbledon semi-finals, joking about not holding a “Roland Garros press conference.” The top seed struggled against No. 13 Amanda Anisimova, ultimately losing in three sets.

During their match, Anisimova celebrated points rather early, even before the ball reached Sabalenka in the second set. This didn’t sit well with Sabalenka, who later reflected on the incident. After the match, she noted, “She celebrated a bit. I was just trying to chase the ball,” adding a hint of sarcasm.

Sabalenka expressed a mix of gratitude and annoyance, saying, “I was mad at that moment, so I came back… I probably should have remembered that.” The tension was palpable as Anisimova seized a 5-2 lead in the third set, with some of her shots bouncing favorably off the net. Usually, players might apologize in such cases, but Anisimova didn’t follow that unwritten rule.

This match marked Anisimova’s first leap into a Grand Slam Tournament Finals, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Sabalenka had lost just one prior set throughout the tournament, making this defeat particularly shocking. Anisimova became the first American woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Serena Williams did in 2019.

As the match concluded, Sabalenka seemed to question Anisimova’s actions, hinting at a lack of sportsmanship. Commentator Chris Fowler remarked, “I don’t know if that’s more than gamesmanship right there,” while analyst Chris Ever added that Sabalenka wasn’t pleased with the outcome.

Throughout their careers, the two players have faced off multiple times, with Anisimova holding a 6-3 record against Sabalenka as of now.