Amanda Anisimova shocked the tennis world by defeating top-ranked Arina Sobolenko in a thrilling Wimbledon semifinal with a score of 4:6, 6:4, 4:6. The 23-year-old American player has now secured her first-ever Grand Slam final appearance, overcoming tremendous pressure against the Belarusian favorite.
"This seems unreal. Arina is an incredibly strong opponent, and it was very difficult for me. I was literally dying on the court, I don't know how I managed to hold on. Being the winner in such a match and reaching the Wimbledon final is something incredible," Anisimova said after the match, barely containing her emotions.
The statistics tell the story of a hard-fought battle. Sobolenko, the 27-year-old Minsk native, delivered six aces and committed four double faults, but crucially converted only 3 out of 14 break points. Anisimova managed two aces with five double faults while successfully capitalizing on three of eight break opportunities.
Interestingly, this unexpected loss continues a difficult stretch for Sobolenko, who also fell short in the 2025 French Open final against Coco Gauff last month with a score of 7:6(5), 2:6, 4:6.
The American challenger with Russian roots will face Iga Swiatek in the championship match on July 12. The Polish eighth seed dominated her semifinal against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, winning in straight sets 6:2, 6:0.
By reaching the final, Anisimova now has a chance to dethrone current Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who defeated Jasmine Paolini in last year's final 6:2, 2:6, 6:4.
Can Anisimova complete her fairy-tale run with a title against the formidable Swiatek? The tennis world will be watching this Saturday.
