Amanda Anisimova stuns world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach Wimbledon final
Anisimova's victory extended her win-loss record over her equally big-hitting rival to 6-3 and kept alive American hopes of a third women's Grand Slam champion this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open and Coco Gauff the French Open.
'This doesn't feel real right now, honestly,' a beaming Anisimova said in her on-court interview on Thursday.
'Aryna is such a tough competitor and I was absolutely dying out there. Yeah, I don't know how I pulled it off. I mean, she's such an incredible competitor and she's an inspiration to me and I'm sure so many other people.
'We've had so many tough battles. To come out on top today and be in the final of Wimbledon is so incredibly special. The atmosphere was incredible. I know she's the number one, but a lot of people were cheering for me. Huge thanks to everyone.'
At an oven-like Centre Court where the temperature climbed to 30 degrees Celsius, Sabalenka twice rushed to the aid of ill fans by supplying bottles of cold water and an ice pack, before she cracked under pressure from her opponent in the 10th game.
The 23-year-old Anisimova, playing in her first major semifinal since her 2019 French Open run as a gifted teenager, made her opponent sweat for every point and wrapped up the opening set when Sabalenka produced a double fault.
With her back against the wall, Sabalenka roared back like a tiger, the animal that has become her totem, and broke for a 4-3 lead en route to levelling up the match at one set apiece after some sloppy errors from 13th seed Anisimova's racket.
Having matched each other's decibel levels in a cacophony of grunting, the duo swapped breaks at the start of the decider but Anisimova pounced again when Sabalenka sent a shot long and went on to book a final with either Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic.
Anisimova, who took a mental health break in 2023, said that making the final of a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon left her in disbelief.
'It's been a year turnaround since coming back and to be in this spot … I mean, it's not easy and so many people dream of, competing on this incredible court,' Anisimova added.
'It's been such a privilege to compete here and to be in the final is just indescribable.'
Watching the second semifinal that will determine her next opponent was very much on Anisimova's mind despite a near three-hour workout in testing conditions.
'It's going to be an incredible match and whoever comes out on top, it's going to be a battle in the final,' she said.
'Hopefully I can finally spend some time with my family.'
Sabalenka, who was beaten in the title match of the Australian and French Opens, was left to lick her wounds after missing the chance to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014-15 to reach four straight major finals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
India level up with England as tempers nearly boil over at Lord's
KL Rahul scored a century while Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant pitched in with crucial fifties as India posted 387, equalling England's first innings, on a heated third day on and off the field at Lord's An injury to Shoaib Bashir blunted England's pace-spin attack strategy when India looked vulnerable with five wickets down after losing Pant and Rahul in quick succession, before Jadeja steadied their innings with his third fifty-plus knock in a row. England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who played a single over from Jasprit Bumrah before stumps, remained unbeaten at 2-0 as the five-match series remains tied as both sides look to go 2-1 up with a win in the third Test. With two overs scheduled to be bowled before stumps, tempers started to flare when Crawley pulled out of his stance four times – and later in the over called for the physio in what would be the only over of England's second innings. The tourists were irate with Mohammed Siraj displaying a thunderous look, before Bumrah slow handclapped and India skipper Shubman Gill confronted Crawley, pointing a finger in the opener's face. India started well from an overnight score of 145-3 as left-handed batter Pant, who scored twin centuries in the first test, battled through an injured finger on his left hand as he hooked England captain Stokes for six to bring up his fifty. The 27-year-old survived when an awkward hook on a short ball from Stokes almost got him caught near the fine leg boundary, but a diving Crawley could only lob the ball back inside to prevent a six. But Pant was run out for 74 on the last ball before lunch as he tried to take a quick single after playing Bashir towards cover point, where Stokes made a quick turn to hit the stumps on the non-striker's end with a swift, direct throw. Opener Rahul was the next to fall, edging Bashir's flighted ball to Harry Brook in the slip on his very next ball after reaching 100, leaving India on shaky ground at 254-5 under a warm London sun. But Bashir had to leave the ground when he injured a finger on his non-bowling left hand while attempting a low catch from his own delivery as Jadeja shot down the wicket, with commentators saying the 21-year-old might need extra treatment in the evening. Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, new to the crease, looked unsteady as England's bowlers piled on the pressure. Mix-ups between the batters put Reddy at risk of getting run out on two occasions, but Ollie Pope's direct throws missed the target both times. However, as England returned to using two pacers soon after Bashir's injury, the pair put together a 72-run partnership before Stokes claimed his second wicket of the match, getting Reddy to nick it to keeper Jamie Smith for 30. Jadeja drove Joe Root down long off for four to complete his half-century, while Washington Sundar took a slow, cautious approach on the other end. Their 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket got India within 11 runs of England's total, before Chris Woakes dismissed Jadeja for 72 as the batter's attempt to send the ball down fine leg only took a thin edge and landed in Smith's gloves. Akash Deep, in at number nine, was given out leg before wicket twice by umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat during the same over, but Hawk-Eye showed the ball was missing the stumps when the batter reviewed them, overturning both decisions. But Deep fell soon after to Brydon Carse for seven, with Brook trapping him at third slip with a low dive. Sundar brought the scores level with a flick to the mid-wicket, before Woakes dismissed Jaspreet Bumrah for a duck in the very next ball to bag his third wicket. Jofra Archer got Sundar out for 23 to bring an end to India's innings, leaving the match finely poised going into the final two days.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Alcaraz targets Wimbledon three-peat in final against Sinner
Who: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner What: Wimbledon 2025 men's singles final Where: Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom When: Sunday, July 13, starting at not before 4pm local (15:00 GMT) How to follow: We'll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm local (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream. For Italy's Jannik Sinner, Sunday's Wimbledon final offers a chance of redemption; for Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, it is an opportunity to join an elite club of men who have won the title three years in succession. There are many other plot lines, but above all, the showdown will help to cement a rivalry that could dominate tennis for a decade. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the final. Who did Alcaraz and Sinner beat in their semifinals? The Spaniard overcame American Taylor Fritz in a four-set win in the first semifinal on Friday. Sinner then overcame Serbia's Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the second last-four clash. When did Alcaraz and Sinner last meet? The pair met in a mesmeric clash last month in the longest-ever French Open final. The match, which 22-year-old Alcaraz won at Roland-Garros, is being touted as one of the greatest of all time. Between them, Alcaraz and Sinner, a year older than his Spanish opponent, have shared the last six Grand Slam titles. What happened in the French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner? The Spaniard came back from two sets down and saved three match points on his way to a fifth Grand Slam title, in the process taking his head-to-head record over Sinner to 8-4, including winning all of the last four. It was a painful defeat for world number one Sinner, but he has not had to wait long to try to set the record straight. 2 - Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are just the second pair in the Open Era to meet in the Men's Singles final at Wimbledon and Roland Garros in a season, after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (2006-08). Rivalry. #Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @atptour @ATPMediaInfo — OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 11, 2025 What titles has Sinner won? Sinner's three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, two in Melbourne and one in New York. What titles has Alcaraz won? Alcaraz's major titles have come on all the sport's surfaces, suggesting a more complete game. The Spaniard, who is on a 24-match winning streak, has claimed both the Wimbledon and French Open titles twice, while also lifting the winner's trophy at the US Open. What chance does Sinner have against Alcaraz on grass? Sinner's performances against Ben Shelton in the quarters and Djokovic in the semis show just how suited his game is to grass. His laser-like ground strokes, powerful serve and his ability to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye were all on display, and Alcaraz knows he faces a challenge every bit as tough as Roland-Garros on Centre Court on Sunday. Have Alcaraz and Sinner met on grass before? The only other time they have met on grass was at Wimbledon in 2022 when Sinner won their last-16 clash in four sets. Who else has won a Wimbledon three-peat? Should Alcaraz prevail, he would join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic as the only men to win the Wimbledon title three years in a row, and he would also surpass Nadal's two Wimbledon crowns. How have Alcaraz and Sinner fared at Wimbledon 2025 Alcaraz flirted with a shock first-round defeat against Italian Fabio Fognini, needing five sets. Sinner trailed by two sets against Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round after hurting his elbow, but was given a reprieve when the Bulgarian retired injured. Sinner, the third Italian to reach a Wimbledon singles final after Matteo Berrettini in 2021 and Jasmine Paolini last year, has looked unhindered by his elbow despite wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm in his last two matches. 'I think we are handling this small problem at the moment very well,' he said. Stat attack – Alcaraz Alcaraz, at 22 years 56 days, has become the third-youngest player in the Open Era to reach consecutive men's singles finals at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros, after Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal (22 years 20 days). Stat attack – Sinner Only three players in the Open Era have conceded fewer games en route to a men's singles final at Wimbledon than Sinner (56) – Roger Federer (52, 2006), Jimmy Connors (54, 1975) and John McEnroe (54, 1982). How much will the Wimbledon men's singles winner be paid? This year's winner will take home $4.05m, and the runner-up will leave with $2.05m. Last year's prize was $3.64m. What time does the men's singles final start? The start time for the final on Sunday will be fluid depending on the duration of matches earlier in the day. The organisers, however, issued the advisory that the match will not start before 4pm at Wimbledon (15:00 GMT).
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Swiatek wins first Wimbledon title with 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Anisimova
Iga Swiatek demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the most one-sided women's Wimbledon final for 114 years to seal her sixth Grand Slam. 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 on Saturday. It is the first time a woman has won a final at Wimbledon without dropping a game since 1911. And Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major title without losing a game in the final after Steffi Graf beat Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open. 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 semifinals. 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. The distraught Anisimova left court briefly before returning for the trophy presentation. Swiatek 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.
