LONDON — Amanda Anisimova, once ranked outside the top 400, will play in her first Grand Slam final this Saturday at Wimbledon just a year after failing to qualify.
The 23-year-old American shocked world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday’s semifinal with a powerful 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory on Centre Court. It marked a full-circle moment for Anisimova, who spent last year’s tournament at home, trying not to think about tennis after falling in the third round of qualifying.
“I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me I’d be in the final, especially this soon,” Anisimova said after the match. “To be here now it’s indescribable.”
She will face Poland’s Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s final. The matchup caps a breakthrough season that has seen Anisimova climb from near-obscurity to a career-high top 10 world ranking.
Thursday’s victory makes Anisimova only the second woman in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final one year after failing to qualify for the same tournament. The other, Bianca Andreescu, won the US Open in 2019.
Anisimova’s comeback is rooted in both talent and resolve. After reaching the French Open semifinals in 2019 and becoming the youngest WTA title winner since Serena Williams, her rise was halted by personal tragedy. Her father and longtime coach, Konstantin Anisimov, died unexpectedly just before the 2019 US Open.
She struggled to recover both on and off the court, eventually stepping away from tennis in 2023 to focus on her mental health. Ranked 191st last summer, she returned last year with little fanfare but a renewed sense of purpose.
“This whole run is a message,” Anisimova said. “People warned me I’d never make it back if I took time off. But prioritizing myself was the best thing I’ve done.”
On Thursday, her power game returned in full. She dictated points from the baseline, showed confidence under pressure, and sealed the win with a forehand winner in the final set. Watching from the stands were her sister Maria, her four-year-old nephew Jaxson, and her close friend and fellow player Priscilla Hon, who skipped practice to support her.
Anisimova is now one win away from joining fellow Americans Madison Keys and Coco Gauff as Grand Slam champions this year.
“She always had the potential,” said 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli. “What she needed was time to piece everything back together. Now she’s playing her best tennis again.”
Her story goes beyond tennis. Anisimova has spoken openly about her battles with anxiety and grief. She channels her emotions into art, selling her abstract paintings to raise funds for mental health programs. When asked how she would represent this Wimbledon journey in her next piece, she smiled and said, “A lot of green and white. Maybe gold too.”
As she prepares for the biggest match of her life, Anisimova is focused but grounded.
“You’re not just a tennis player,” she once said in an interview about self-care. On Saturday, she’ll step onto the court not just as an athlete, but as proof that recovery and success can exist side by side.
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