WIMBLEDON, England (BN24) — Amanda Anisimova produced the performance of her career on Thursday, stunning world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping Wimbledon semifinal to advance to her first Grand Slam final. She will meet Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who cruised past Belinda Bencic in the other semifinal.
The 13th-seeded American held her nerve in a bruising contest, edging Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in just over two and a half hours on Centre Court. The victory halted Sabalenka’s quest for a maiden Wimbledon crown and marked another milestone in Anisimova’s remarkable resurgence.
“This doesn’t feel real right now, honestly,” Anisimova said moments after sealing the win. “Aryna is such a tough competitor, and I was absolutely dying out there. I don’t know how I pulled it out. We’ve had so many battles, and to come out on top and be in the Wimbledon final is incredible.”
Anisimova, 23, was hailed as a teenage prodigy when she reached the French Open semifinals in 2019 at age 17. But she stepped away from the sport in 2023 to address mental health challenges, falling outside the top 400. Just a year ago, she failed to qualify for Wimbledon. Since then, she has climbed rapidly back into contention and will debut in the top 10 when the rankings are updated Monday.
For Sabalenka, the defeat was another bitter blow. The 27-year-old Belarusian, a three-time major champion who won the U.S. Open last year, has now fallen in the semifinals at Wimbledon for the third time. She also endured painful losses in the finals of this year’s Australian Open and French Open.
“Losing sucks,” Sabalenka said candidly. “You feel like you’re getting close to your dream and then this is the end. You always feel like you want to die and not exist anymore. But then you sit there and think about what you could have done differently.”
Swiatek Dominates Bencic
Earlier Thursday, five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek delivered a masterclass on grass, sweeping aside Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in just 71 minutes. The eighth seed has largely flown under the radar during this tournament but has now dropped only one set en route to Saturday’s final.
“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it would be possible for me to play in the final here,” Swiatek said. “I thought I had experienced everything on the court, but I hadn’t experienced playing well on grass. That’s the first time, and I’m super excited.”
Swiatek set the tone from the opening games, breaking Bencic twice to establish a 3-0 lead. From there, the 24-year-old never relinquished control, reeling off the last nine games in a row.
Bencic, the 2021 Olympic champion, managed to hold serve only once in the opening set and was overwhelmed in the second as Swiatek raised her level even further.
While four of Swiatek’s major titles have come at the French Open, her previous best Wimbledon showing was a quarterfinal appearance last year. She has won all five Grand Slam finals she has contested and now has a chance to claim her first major title on grass.
The final between Swiatek and Anisimova will be their first meeting as professionals, setting up an intriguing clash between the tour’s most dominant clay-court player and a resurgent contender with nothing to lose.
