Amanda Anisimova stunned the tennis world on Thursday by defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a hard-fought three-set semifinal to punch her ticket to the Wimbledon final.
The 23-year-old American will now play for her first Grand Slam title on Saturday and, regardless of the outcome, will officially break into the WTA top 10 for the first time.
Born in Freehold, New Jersey, on August 31, 2001, Anisimova was introduced to tennis by her father, Konstantin Anisimov, who also served as her coach. As a junior, she quickly stood out for her power and aggressive baseline play—traits not commonly seen at her age.
As a junior, Anisimova captured the 2017 US Open girls’ singles title with a win over Coco Gauff in the final and was runner–up at the 2016 French Open. She also climbed as high as No. 2 in the ITF junior world rankings. Later that year, at just 16, she had already broken into the top 200 in the WTA rankings, signaling the arrival of a major new talent.
Amanda Anisimova of the United States and Cori Gauff of the United States pose during the trophy presentation after Anisimova won the Junior US Open. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Tragedy strikes: The loss of her father
Just two years into her professional career, Anisimova suffered a devastating loss. In August 2019, her father passed away from a heart attack. The tragedy forced her to withdraw from key tournaments during the North American hard court swing. Though she stayed on tour, the emotional toll would linger and eventually catch up.
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Mental health struggles and time away from the game
By May 2023, Anisimova made the difficult decision to step away from tennis due to mental health struggles and burnout. Results weren’t coming, and the grind of the tour had become unbearable.
“I’ve been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022. Being at tennis tournaments has become unbearable,” Anisimova wrote in a heartfelt social media post. “Right now, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break. I’ve worked as hard as I could to push through it”.
The comeback
Eight months later, Anisimova returned to the WTA Tour with renewed energy and perspective. Her comeback gained serious momentum in February 2025, when she captured her first WTA 1000 title in Doha. Now, she’s set to play in her first Grand Slam final.
Speaking in a press conference after her semifinal win, Anisimova reflected on her journey: “I always knew deep down that I was going to come back to the tour, no matter how long I needed to be away,” she said. “I felt like there were still so many things I wanted to accomplish in this sport”.
“Winning a Slam is one of those things, and I didn’t want to walk away so soon after sacrificing so much of my life and working so hard,” she continued. “Once I came back, I found a new passion for tennis. It’s a passion I didn’t have before, not even as a teenager. Every win means so much more now”.
A career-defining win
July 10, 2025, will be a date to remember in Amanda Anisimova’s career. On Centre Court at Wimbledon, she earned what may be the biggest win of her life so far—beating top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
The win not only booked her spot in the Wimbledon final, where she’ll face Iga Swiatek, but also guaranteed her first appearance inside the WTA’s top 10. As of the live rankings, she currently sits at No. 7, the highest in her career.
