Amanda Anisimova of the United States has advanced to the final of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, after a stunning victory on Thursday over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. The 23-year-old American, ranked 12th in the world, triumphed in three sets (6-4, 4-6, 6-4), securing a spot in her first-ever Grand Slam final.
Anisimova, whose previous best result at a major was reaching the Roland Garros semifinal in 2019, delivered a resilient performance in a match that lasted two hours and 37 minutes. Her win denied Sabalenka a place in the Wimbledon final, continuing the Belarusian’s pattern of falling short in the semifinals, as she did in 2021 and 2023 against Karolína Plíšková and Ons Jabeur respectively.
Anisimova will face Poland’s Iga Świątek in the final. The world No. 4 secured her place in the championship match with a commanding straight-sets victory over Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-0, in just one hour and 12 minutes.
It was Świątek’s first meeting with Bencic since their fourth-round clash at Wimbledon 2023, where the Polish star also emerged victorious. This will be Świątek’s first Grand Slam final since winning her third consecutive Roland Garros title in 2023, and her fourth overall, having also claimed the US Open title in 2022.
Świątek’s road to the Wimbledon final marks a milestone in her grass-court career. She had reached her first-ever grass-court final earlier this season in Bad Homburg, Germany (WTA 500), where she lost to American Jessica Pegula. Now, she has a chance to capture her maiden Wimbledon title.
