Swiatek destroys Anisimova to win first Wimbledon title
The Polish eighth seed, who has now won all six major finals in which she has competed, was in charge from the first point and wrapped up victory in just 57 minutes.
The 24-year-old is Wimbledon's eighth consecutive first-time women's champion since Serena Williams won her seventh and final title at the All England Club in 2016.
Swiatek, who reached the final of the grass-court tournament at Bad Homburg two weeks ago, has looked increasingly strong while the top seeds tumbled at the All England Club.
She lost just one set in her run to the final.
But US 13th seed Anisimova was expected to prove a stern test after ousting world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
Anisimova made a nervous start in hot conditions on Centre Court.
She was broken in the first game, soon slipping 2-0 behind and the signs looked ominous.
She appeared to have found her feet in her next service game but the tenacious Swiatek refused to give ground and recovered to move 3-0 ahead when Anisimova double-faulted.
At 4-0 down Anisimova was facing a first-set wipe-out but she was powerless to halt the rampant Swiatek, who sealed the first set 6-0 in just 25 minutes.
The American won just six points on her serve in the first set and committed 14 unforced errors.
An increasingly desperate Anisimova could not stem the tide in the second set, double-faulting again in the third game to give her opponent game point and then netting a backhand.
The crowd got behind her but to no avail as Swiatek kept up her level, serving out to win and celebrating before consoling her devastated opponent.
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Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Świątek's Wimbledon whitewash of Anisimova not a barometer for quality of women's tennis
The straight-sets win by the Polish superstar Iga Świątek over America's Amanda Anisimova is an outlier, not the norm. It's a Wimbledon final that has sparked debate, particularly around the issue of equal pay and whether women should also be required to play the best of fives sets at Grand Slams in order for this pay disparity to close. Polish tennis star Iga Świątek underlined her credentials as the best player of this current generation as she obliterated American Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the women's singles final at Wimbledon. After Anisimova had shown grit and guile to outmanoeuvre world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals, she was expected to put on a better show in the decider versus Świątek. Especially because Świątek has never shied away from sharing how difficult she finds playing on grass. In fact, the 2025 Wimbledon final was the Pole's first at the world's oldest Grand Slam. That balances the scales, right? Wrong. This was Świątek's sixth overall Grand Slam final, to Anisimova's one. With her 57-minute victory over Anisimova, Świątek coincidentally took her tally at major finals to a perfect score of 6-0. When Świątek reaches a Grand Slam final she does not lose. At this point in her career, the 24-year-old Pole is more efficient than Real Madrid in the European Champions League, or Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros. As such, Anisimova was always poised to suffer against Świątek. But no one could have predicted just how one-sided the final would be. Rare result Anisimova's mauling by Świątek was only the second time in the Open Era that a women's Grand Slam champion did not lose a single game. The other time this occurred was when Steffi Graff swatted aside Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 at the 1988 French Open. That contest lasted just 34 minutes. While empathising with her opponent, Świątek was also elated with herself for snapping mental barrier. Throughout her career, the Pole has spoken about her struggles on grass courts, labelling it her least-favourite surface. This is in contrast to clay, where she is at home and has won four of her six Slams. 'Coming here, I could really focus on getting better and developing as a player rather than everybody just asking me to win,' Świątek said. 'I kind of enjoyed that because expectations were a bit lower.' 'For sure, it feels like the emotions are bigger because at Roland-Garros I know I can play well and I know I can show it every year,' Świątek told WTA. 'Here, I wasn't sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself. This one and the US Open for sure feel better because no one expected that. It wasn't a relief. It was more of just good tennis and working to make it happen, without this baggage on your shoulders,' she added. 'I'm sorry' For her part, Anisimova was naturally devastated by the horror display in her maiden major final. The 23-year-old was apologetic towards the spectators who had packed into Centre Court expecting a show similar to the one she had put on when defeating Sabalenka. Instead Anisimova was overawed by the occasion, making a barrage of unforced errors to make Świątek's job that much easier. During her post-match interview a distraught Anisimova said to the crowd: 'Guys, I'm so sorry. 'Thank you to everyone who has supported me since my first-round match, you guys have carried me through. 'I've had a great fortnight, even though I ran out of gas [in the final]. I wish I could have put on a better performance for all of you, but you guys have still been there and lifted me up.' Anisimova simply froze on the grandest stage she has ascended to so far in her career. It can happen to anyone, just ask the players of Inter Milan after they were demolished 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Champions League final. A former junior tennis prodigy – having won the 2017 Junior US Open and being ranked as high as second in the world – Anisimova is determined to bounce back from this setback. Having quit tennis in 2023, for mental health reasons, the American is not ready to walk away again. 'It's a fork in the road. It's whatever direction you want to go in. I'm going to choose the path of working towards my goals and to try and keep improving. Hopefully I put myself in more positions and opportunities like [at this Wimbledon],' Anisimova said. Equity talk Nevertheless, the one-sided Wimbledon final has once again sparked debate about equity in the tennis world. While the winners of Grand Slams receive the same prize money, at general tour competitions there are still pay disparities. Critics of elite women wanting to earn as much as the men in tennis have zeroed in on the non-contest between Świątek and Anisimova. In addition, such detractors have also argued that women should never earn the same as their counterparts because they only play a maximum of three sets. However, this argument falls flat because outside of Grand Slams (where pay is equal), the men's tennis players also participate in the best-of-three-sets matches. In any case, retired French tennis player Marion Bartoli believes the current crop of women's tennis players could play five sets if such a regulation was passed. Bartoli also cautioned against using the rare result seen in the Wimbledon final to assassinate women's tennis. 'That final was special, so I don't think you can take that one example and extrapolate it to say that women should play best-of-five. Usually we see longer finals, like the one at Roland-Garros. It's a discussion the players need to have with the WTA,' Bartoli told CLAY. 'Women are absolutely capable of playing best-of-five sets,' the 2013 Wimbledon champion added. 'Taking that step would require today's players to sit down and really consider whether it's what's best for women's tennis or not. It's not up to us, the former players, to make that decision,' Bartoli said. Nevertheless, the odds are that Anisimova would have still been pumelled even in a five-set situation. Świątek was just at her destructive best. DM
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- The Citizen
SA golfers' tee times for 153rd Open at Royal Portrush revealed
Of the 11 South Africans in the field at this week's 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, former champion Louis Oosthuizen will be first off the tee at 07:46 tomorrow. According to The Citizen, the Open champion at St Andrews in 2010, who now plays his golf on the LIV Tour, will play alongside Guido Migliozzi and KJ Choi for the first two rounds. Oosthuizen has enjoyed playing the Open over the years and also boasts a tied second (2015) and tied third (2021) in 17 appearances. He will hope for another good week on the links course. Following Oosthuizen off the tee will be Daniel van Tonder at 08:19, alongside Phil Mickelson and Ryan Peake, and then Justin Walters at 10:14 in a group with Takumi Kanaya and fellow South African amateur, 18-year-old Bryan Newman. Newman will be chasing the silver medal, awarded to the best amateur in the tournament, after qualifying to play this week by winning the Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek in February as a 17-year-old. SA Open champion Naidoo At 10:47, new hotshot and recent first-time winner on the PGA Tour, Aldrich Potgieter, will tee off with American powerhouses Sam Burns and Brooks Koepka, who has won five Majors but is seeking a first Claret Jug. At 11:53, SA Open champion Dylan Naidoo, who won in a playoff in Durban in early March, will make his Open debut alongside veteran South African Darren Fichardt, with John Axelsen the other member of their group. Another South African playing LIV Golf, Dean Burmester, will play alongside Davis Thompson of the US and Rikuya Hoshino of Japan from 13:42, while Shaun Norris will be in a group featuring Matt McCarty of the US and Spain's Angel Hidalgo at 14:15. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, now a regular on the PGA Tour in the US, will play alongside Rasmus Hojgaard and Romain Langasque, while Thriston Lawrence, who led the Open at one stage last year and eventually finished fourth, will tee off at 15:04 alongside former champion Justin Leonard and Antoine Rozner. The defending champion this week is American Xander Schauffele. The last time the Open was held at Royal Portrush, in 2019, Ireland's Shane Lowry won the Claret Jug. The last South African winner was Ernie Els in 2012 at Royal Lytham and St Annes, but he is not playing this year. For all the tee times click here. All the tee times in this story are SA times.
Daily Maverick
11 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
World No 1 Scheffler admits to being unfulfilled by golf on eve of Open Championship
Scottie Scheffler starts as one of the favourites to win the Open Championship. As pre-tournament comments go, having the golf's best player admit that he doesn't feel fulfilled despite all the winning he does, is a curious way to set out a stall for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. But that's exactly what American world No 1 Scottie Scheffler admitted in his pre-Open media engagement. Scheffler is among the favourites for the title, although his record on links courses and at the Open falls some way short of his prowess on parkland layouts. His best finish at an Open is seventh. Still, whenever Scheffler tees it up, he is expected to be near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. That's what drives him, but as it turns out, that's not what fulfils him. 'This (being a professional golfer) is not a fulfilling life,' the 29-year-old current PGA Champion Scheffler said. 'It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart. 'Like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament and then that euphoric feeling lasts a few minutes. You get to No 1 in the world, and you're like, 'what's the point?' 'I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? Rory McIlroy plays a shot during a practice round before the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on 14 July 2025. (Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images) 'That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. It's like showing up at the Masters every year; it's like why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open Championship so badly? I don't know because, if I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes. 'Then we're going to get to the next week, hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedEx Cup playoffs? And we're back here again. 'So, we work so hard for such little moments. I'm kind of sicko; I love putting in the work. I love getting to practise. I love getting to live out my dreams. 'But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don't understand the point. I love being able to play this game for a living. It's one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.' Desire to win These comments will no doubt draw criticism, especially from golfers far less successful than Scheffler, who devote the same amount of time and effort to their craft but still struggle. But it was a brutally honest assessment of his life and how he views being a professional athlete. And perhaps that's why he's won three majors and dominated the world recently – because winning golf tournaments doesn't define him. Rory McIlroy during a practice round ahead of the Open Championship on 14 July 2025. (Photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images) 'I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that's going to be the last day that I play for a living,' Scheffler said. 'This is not the be-all and end-all. This is not the most important thing in my life. I'd much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer.' That mustn't be confused with his desire to win though – however fleeting his joy is at the actual victory. 'What's the best-case scenario? I win this golf tournament, and then I'm going to show up in Memphis, and it's like, okay, listen, you won two majors this year; what are you going to do this week? That's the question you're going to get asked,' Scheffler said. 'If I come in second this week or if I finish dead last, no matter what happens, we're always on to the next week. That's one of the beautiful things about golf, and it's also one of the frustrating things because you can have such great accomplishments, but the show goes on. That's just how it is. 'It's great to win tournaments. It's pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn't last that long.' McIlroy magic? Since winning the Masters in April to complete the career Grand Slam Rory McIlroy's form has dipped. But he returns to the course on which he grew up and where, the smart money says, he should triumph. But back in 2019 when Portrush hosted the Open, McIlroy was the overwhelming favourite to win, and he missed the cut. These are the vagaries of golf. But this year, with the Masters in the bag and a 10-year major drought ended, could he use his experience at the course to win a second Open? His form is trending in the right direction with a tie for second at last week's Scottish Open. 'I don't spend a lot of time in these parts anymore, just with travel schedule, living abroad, all that stuff,' McIlroy said after his practice round earlier this week. 'To be here, to see a lot of familiar faces… every hole on the course has a different team of marshals from different golf clubs, and just to see people that I've met throughout the years out there this morning was really nice. 'I'm certainly encouraged by how I've played the last two starts, especially last week in Scotland. 'When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably, I don't know, circled, even more so than the Masters for different reasons. 'It's lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that's happened this year. 'I'm excited with where my game is. I felt like I showed some really good signs last week. I feel like I'm in a good spot… not that last week was a pure preparation week, but I definitely feel like it put me in a good spot heading into here.' South Africans There are 11 South Africans in the field, including the 2025 SA Open winner Dylan Naidoo, who makes his Open debut. 'It's an unbelievable feeling. My head was spinning when I heard the good news (about qualifying for the Open). I don't even know what to say,' Naidoo said after his SA Open victory. 'Here's hoping it's the first of many, but it's the first and I'm going to treasure it. I can't thank the R&A, DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour enough for creating this pathway for us.' Louis Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open is in the field – a rare outing at a major since his defection to LIV Golf. Thriston Lawrence, who was in contention at the US Open last month, could be a dark horse. He tied for fourth at the 2024 Open and knows how to handle himself on links courses.
