Iga Swiatek has 'a lot of respect' for Amanda Anisimova after American's comeback from mental health break to reach Wimbledon final

Iga Swiatek shared her opinion about Amanda Anisimova's comeback after taking a mental health break from tennis. The latter was off the court for almost seven months.

Swiatek advanced to the Wimbledon finals for the first time in her career so far after delivering a significant performance in the semifinal clash against Belinda Bencic. The Pole won the match in straight sets and is now vying to win her first grass-court Grand Slam title.

On the other hand, Amanda Anisimova also made it to the finals after edging out Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal round, becoming the third American to reach a Grand Slam final this year. This is a personal win for the 23-year-old, as she battled mental health conditions and made a comeback after a seven-month hiatus. Both Anisimova and Swiatek are all set to compete against each other in the Wimbledon final on July 12 at the Center Court.

Following her semifinal triumph, Swiatek sat for a press conference, where she made her feelings known about the American's comeback after mental health struggles. Stating that the latter deserved a lot of respect, the World No. 8 said:

"Anybody who struggles and gets back at a better level deserves a lot of respect. For sure Amanda is one of these players that kept going forward in tough situations. I always wish her the best. We’ve known each other since juniors."

Iga Swiatek opened up about competing against Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon final

Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova have known each other since their junior years and will square off against each other for the first time in senior circuit. In the aforementioned interview, Swiatek expressed her feelings about competing against Anisimova, stating that she had never seen her game before; however, she was aware of how the American played on grass.

Calling it a challenge, Swiatek said:

“I haven’t followed her previous matches. Today I followed because I was playing after. I didn’t watch though. She must be playing great. She also had a great tournament before Wimbledon. She knows how to play on grass. With her game style, the surface fits her. So it’s gonna be a challenge. But I haven’t watched a lot. I’m gonna prepare tactically tomorrow and that’s it," said Iga Swiatek.

Iga Swiatek hasn't lifted any trophies this year so far; however, she has reached the finals and semifinals of multiple major tournaments, including the Australian Open, Qatar Open, Indian Wells Open, and the French Open.