Wimbledon: Anisimova upsets Sabalenka to reach first Grand Slam final
The American will climb to No 7 in the world rankings next week and could climb into the top 5 if she wins on Saturday
Amanda Anisimova, Wimbledon 2025
In January 2024, Amanda Anisimova was ranked outside the world’s top 400 after she took an extended break from the sport to overcome burnout and mental health issues. Just 18 months later, the 23-year-old American has achieved the biggest result of her career by reaching her first Grand Slam final.
That milestone was achieved at Wimbledon, the holy grail of tennis, where Anisimova won a tense three-set battle over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on a packed Centre Court on Thursday.
Both players had early chances to break serve early in the first set (Sabalenka had two opportunities in the sixth game and Anisimova had four in the following game). But neither was able to break until a marathon 10th game.
Sabalenka held five points to hold her serve and level the set but Anisimova fought each one of them before converting her second set point to clinch the first set 6-4 in 57 minutes.
Sabalenka fight back to force a third set
The second set started off as the first with both players holding serve but this time it was Sabalenka who struck first to break and lead 5-3. The Belarusian had four chances in the ninth game to break the Anisimova serve again but the American held on. Sabalenka managed to hold her serve in the next game to win the second set 6-4 in 47 minutes and take the semi-final into a decider.
Anisimova beats Sabalenka for the sixth time in nine meetings
The Belarusian, who lost in the final of the Australian Open and Roland-Garros (to Americans Madison Keys and Coco Gauff respectively), started the third set with a break before Anisimova found her range once again. The American won four games on the trot and held another break point to go up 5-1 before Sabalenka pressed the brakes and started a mini-comeback.
Down 5-3 in the decider, the world No 1 won saved a match point in the ninth game to break the Anisimova serve and get the set back on serve. However, she was unable to fend off the American, who finally converted on her third matchpoint to seal the win 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes. This marked the sixth win for Anisimova over Sabalenka in nine career meetings (3-2 in Grand Slams).
It also marked her first career win over a world No 1 and her 13th win over a top 10 ranked opponent. At 23, Anisimova becomes the youngest American woman to reach the final at the All England Club since a 22-year-old Serena Williams did the same in 2004.
Anisimova, who is guaranteed to break into the world’s top 10 for the first time next week, will reach No 7 in the rankings with her run this fortnight. A win on Sunday against Iga Swiatek will take her to the world’s top five.
