"I would not believe you": Amanda Anisimova lost for words thinking about how she overcame her mental health crisis to reach Wimbledon final in 1 year

Amanda Anisimova pulled a stunner against Aryna Sabalenka and ousted the three-time Wimbledon semifinalist 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a thriller on July 10. The American was overwhelmed with emotions as she qualified for her maiden Grand Slam final and reminisced about her battle with mental health issues a few months back.

Anisimova faced a series of tragedies in her life since rising to fame in 2019, with her father Konstantin suddenly passing away right before the US Open of that year. This started her struggles with mental health, which eventually led her to indefinitely take a break from tennis in 2023. She came back to the sport in 2024 after an eight-month-long hiatus and went on to reach her first WTA 1000 final at the Cincinnati Open.

Having a positive run in 2025, she also managed to win the Qatar Open and has now become the youngest American woman in the last 21 years, after Serena Williams, to qualify for the Wimbledon final. During the on-court interview, Anisimova was in disbelief and said:

"If you said I would be in the final at Wimbledon, I would not believe you. At least not this soon because I mean it's been a year turnaround since, you know, coming back and to be in this spot. I mean it's not easy and so many people dream of, you know, competing on this incredible court. It's been such a privilege to compete here and to be in the final is just indescribable, honestly,"

Amanda Anisimova solidified her head-to-head lead against Sabalenka at 5-3, even after having lost in the last three matches to the Belarusian.

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Amanda Anisimova talks about Aryna Sabalenka giving her a tough fight at Wimbledon

Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon - Image Source: Getty

Amanda Anisimova admitted that Aryna Sabalenka was a tough opponent to face in the semifinal and getting such a dominant win elated her. She saved a total of 11 break points out of the 14 she faced in the match to secure a spot in the maiden Grand Slam final of her career.

After the match, Anisimova acknowledged the toughness of Sabalenka and said that she was finding it very tough to keep up with her. She said:

“Aryna is such a tough competitor. I was absolutely dying out there. I don’t know how I pulled it out. She’s an inspiration to me and so many other people.”

Anisimova will face Iga Swiatek in the final of Wimbledon on Saturday, July 12.