Rafael Nadal Sends Personal Message to Amanda Anisimova Amid Historic Wimbledon Loss
Amanda Anisimova found herself making history at Wimbledon 2025 following her Ladies' Singles Final match against number eight seed, Iga Swiatek — but not for the reason she had hoped.
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Anisimova, 23, was unable to win a single game against Swiatek during Saturday's finals on Centre Court, resulting in a historic 6-0 6-0 loss against the Pol. The championship match lasted only 57 minutes. It was the first time since 1911 that the Wimbledon ladies' champion was decided by that score.
It was the young American's first Grand Slam appearance, and despite the rare "double bagel" score, a phrase used to describe a 6-0 set in tennis because the "0" resembles the shape of a bagel, Anisimova handled the loss with poise and grace.
Amanda Anisimova reaches for a forehand at The Championships Wimbledon 2025.© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Sport, after all, is as much about the process as it is about the outcome, and there are positives to take away even in the face of historic defeat. Former world No. 1 tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal, knows this better than most, and sent Anisimova a personal message via X.
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"Be proud, @AnisimovaAmanda! Grand Slam finalist! 👏🏻👏🏻"
While Nadal, 39, has racked up 92 ATP singles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, he has also had his share of losses, some more painful to remember than others. The Spaniard is beloved not only for his mastery on the court, but for his positive attitude and strong mental fortitude in both good times and bad.
During a 2012 interview with HuffPost UK Blogger Victoria Coren, Nadal was asked about the skill and level of character it takes to deal with the ups and downs of winning and losing.
"It's something I think I've shown in my career — you have to accept both losing and winning well," Nadal responded. "I've stayed calm when I'm winning and I've stayed calm when I've lost. Tennis is a sport where we have a lot of tournaments every week, so you can't celebrate a lot when you have big victories, and you cannot get too down when you're losing as in a few days you'll be in the next tournament and you'll have to be ready with that."
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Anisimova has much to be proud of from her Wimbledon run. Not only did she make it to the finals, but she beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals to get there.
Finishing runner-up at a Grand Slam is no small feat, and like Nadal's wise reminder, the next tournament is right around the corner — another moment to meet.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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