Amanda Anisimova made headlines recently by defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping three-set match, which secured her a spot in the Wimbledon final on Thursday. The 23-year-old has a chance to become the first American woman to win Wimbledon since Serena Williams in 2016, as she is set to face Iga Swiatek in the finals on Saturday.
Now, let’s dive into what you should know about Anisimova making her way to this prestigious event.
Background and Early Years
Amanda Anisimova is the daughter of Constantine and Olga Anisimova, who emigrated from Russia to the U.S. in 1998. She was born in New Jersey but moved to Miami, Florida, when she was just three. Her father introduced her to tennis at age five and later became her coach. Tragically, in 2019, while preparing for the US Open, her father passed away from a heart attack, which led Anisimova to withdraw from that tournament as she coped with her loss.
“It was the worst thing that’s happened so far, and it was very difficult,” Anisimova recalled. “But you can’t change it, and you have to come back to life.”
Young Talent
Anisimova burst onto the scene at just 14 years old, reaching the girls’ final at Roland Garros in 2016. That same year, she achieved the second-highest career ITF ranking. The following year, she won the US Open Junior Title without dropping a single set.
She’s claimed five titles throughout her junior career. Anisimova made her WTA tour debut at the Miami Open in 2017, receiving a wild card into the main draw and later making her Grand Slam debut at the French Open, becoming the youngest player to participate since 2005.
WTA Milestones
Amanda scored her first WTA tour victory in 2018 at Indian Wells, where she progressed to the fourth round before losing to Karolina Pliskova. She clinched her initial WTA title at the Claro Open Colsanitas in Bogota in 2019, where she expressed her excitement: “I’m really happy and proud of the way I got through.”
In 2019, she had a strong performance at the French Open, reaching the semi-finals after defeating players like Harmony Tan and Simona Halep but eventually fell to Ashleigh Barty.
After a rough couple of years during the pandemic, Anisimova found her footing again, winning her second WTA title at the Melbourne Summer Set 2 in early 2022.
A Break for Mental Health
In May 2023, Anisimova took a step back from tennis, citing mental health struggles and burnout. She candidly shared on Instagram that it had become difficult to manage the pressures of competing. “At this point, my priorities are my mental well-being and a break for a while,” she wrote.
Returning to the courts in January 2024, she quickly found success again and went on to capture her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open in 2025.
Reflecting on her path to the Wimbledon final, she said, “To be honest, if you told me you were going to be in the final at Wimbledon, I wouldn’t believe you.” It’s clear that this moment is monumental for her, especially following the challenges she faced.
As Anisimova gears up to compete on Saturday at Wimbledon’s Centre Court against Swiatek, she undoubtedly carries with her the weight of dreams fulfilled and the hope of inspiring others.
