Latest news with #Anisimova
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Open victor Scottie Scheffler is latest sporting star to explore space beyond wins and losses
The world's top athletes can seem a confused bunch. Scottie Scheffler described in a press conference before the Open how he keeps asking himself why he wants to win golf tournaments and can't find any answers. The world No 3 men's tennis player Alexander Zverev confessed to feelings of emptiness and a lack of joy in his tennis regardless of whether he wins or loses matches. The Wimbledon women's singles runner-up Amanda Anisimova took a long break from tennis to preserve her mental health, was written off by many and unsure what to expect on return, yet ended up in the SW19 final. What's going on? As the world's top athletes naturally push the boundaries of what's possible physically, so they also have to push the limits mentally, and these questions and experiences are a vital part of that process. We're seeing more and more athletes explore the space beyond winning and losing, a concept many in sport have yet to understand actually exists. But as most athletes find out, some sooner than others, to get caught up with winning and losing is to lose the point, both on the court and in life. Finding a purpose behind the pursuit of trophies now forms a key part of an athlete's mental journey to reach and sustain their highest levels of performance. And, typical of elite performance, it's not an easy path. Scheffler explained before and after triumphing at Royal Portrush that winning tournaments brought a positive sense of achievement but that this shouldn't be mistaken for deep, lasting fulfilment. In many ways, it's a healthy questioning attitude. Scheffler is largely in a good place: he still enjoys playing, while keenly aware that winning a golf tournament can never be the be all and end all. But he is aware he doesn't yet have a good enough answer to the question: 'Why do I want to win this championship so badly?' Anisimova was facing burnout two years ago and knew she had to step away. This time off allowed her to reconnect with herself and redefine why she wanted to play tennis again. She said many people told her she would never make it back if she took time out – one wonders whose interests they were looking after or whether they understood the need to nurture an athlete's mental and emotional health as much as the physical and physiological side. Zverev seems to sense he must find a different route and knows the answer isn't about winning or losing. Scheffler, Anisimova and Zverev each prove age‑old findings of biology, psychology and philosophy that humans need meaning in our lives beyond immediate, material gains. Whether you look at the top level of the psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, return to the Greek Stoic philosophers, or open up the psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl's classic work Man's Search for Meaning, the prime motivating force in humans is to find meaning and purpose in life. Trophies are fun, and we all enjoy them. But as Scheffler reminds us, those celebrations last only a few minutes and won't ever 'fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart'. It's important to note these athletes are not saying winning doesn't matter. It's just not the only thing and, as winning is by its nature temporary and shallow, it's insufficient to sustain the highest levels of performance. Asking 'what's the point of sport?' can feel dangerous, almost heretical, but it's clearly a powerful thought process to sustain any athlete wanting to explore their full potential. Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning The Open at Royal Portrush. Photo: INPHO/Ben Brady Finding reasons why sport matters can look different for different athletes but typically involves the awareness of the person that you are becoming through the pursuit of sporting excellence, the depth of connection that you have with friends, family and wider communities that you belong to, and, over time, the lasting positive impact or legacy you might leave. Giving athletes space and support to explore how they find meaning from their sporting journey is becoming a critical quality for coaches to support and facilitate. But it's a world away from many coaching development routes which have for decades emphasised technical and tactical excellence. Even in the world of sports psychology where there is greatest skill in this area, it's not what is often requested from coaches or performance directors. Organisations including Switch the Play, the True Athlete Project, ACT and the Jacobs Futura Foundation have woken up to the need to help athletes transition out of sport at the end of their careers, alongside various companies that offer athlete transition programmes. What is becoming clear is that those conversations about purpose, identity and social impact need to come much earlier in an athlete's career, long before they retire. An interesting consequence that follows when athletes do have a strong sense of meaning, purpose and connection is less difference between the emotional states of winners and losers. Both winning and losing prove useful in the pursuit of connection with others and the process of self-discovery and character development, reinforcing values and virtues such as resilience, courage, gratitude, and humility. We saw this demonstrated by the Wimbledon men's singles finalists and top two players in the world, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, whose speeches were remarkably similar and based largely on gratitude, humility and accepting loss. Alcaraz clarified that losses hurt but were 'not failures' and Sinner emphasised how important it had been to 'accept' his loss a few weeks earlier at the French Open. They had given everything to win Wimbledon but were both immediately grounded that who they are isn't changed by the result and that they are playing a bigger game. Performance sport shows us contenders at the top of their game whose incredible feats of human possibility now go beyond the field of play. As Sinner said just after holding the Wimbledon trophy for the first time: 'We just keep pushing and trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person.' That's the way to find the mental edge, whatever game you're playing. Guardian
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Świątek's Wimbledon whitewash of Anisimova not a barometer for quality of women's tennis
The straight-sets win by the Polish superstar Iga Świątek over America's Amanda Anisimova is an outlier, not the norm. It's a Wimbledon final that has sparked debate, particularly around the issue of equal pay and whether women should also be required to play the best of fives sets at Grand Slams in order for this pay disparity to close. Polish tennis star Iga Świątek underlined her credentials as the best player of this current generation as she obliterated American Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the women's singles final at Wimbledon. After Anisimova had shown grit and guile to outmanoeuvre world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals, she was expected to put on a better show in the decider versus Świątek. Especially because Świątek has never shied away from sharing how difficult she finds playing on grass. In fact, the 2025 Wimbledon final was the Pole's first at the world's oldest Grand Slam. That balances the scales, right? Wrong. This was Świątek's sixth overall Grand Slam final, to Anisimova's one. With her 57-minute victory over Anisimova, Świątek coincidentally took her tally at major finals to a perfect score of 6-0. When Świątek reaches a Grand Slam final she does not lose. At this point in her career, the 24-year-old Pole is more efficient than Real Madrid in the European Champions League, or Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros. As such, Anisimova was always poised to suffer against Świątek. But no one could have predicted just how one-sided the final would be. Rare result Anisimova's mauling by Świątek was only the second time in the Open Era that a women's Grand Slam champion did not lose a single game. The other time this occurred was when Steffi Graff swatted aside Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 at the 1988 French Open. That contest lasted just 34 minutes. While empathising with her opponent, Świątek was also elated with herself for snapping mental barrier. Throughout her career, the Pole has spoken about her struggles on grass courts, labelling it her least-favourite surface. This is in contrast to clay, where she is at home and has won four of her six Slams. 'Coming here, I could really focus on getting better and developing as a player rather than everybody just asking me to win,' Świątek said. 'I kind of enjoyed that because expectations were a bit lower.' 'For sure, it feels like the emotions are bigger because at Roland-Garros I know I can play well and I know I can show it every year,' Świątek told WTA. 'Here, I wasn't sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself. This one and the US Open for sure feel better because no one expected that. It wasn't a relief. It was more of just good tennis and working to make it happen, without this baggage on your shoulders,' she added. 'I'm sorry' For her part, Anisimova was naturally devastated by the horror display in her maiden major final. The 23-year-old was apologetic towards the spectators who had packed into Centre Court expecting a show similar to the one she had put on when defeating Sabalenka. Instead Anisimova was overawed by the occasion, making a barrage of unforced errors to make Świątek's job that much easier. During her post-match interview a distraught Anisimova said to the crowd: 'Guys, I'm so sorry. 'Thank you to everyone who has supported me since my first-round match, you guys have carried me through. 'I've had a great fortnight, even though I ran out of gas [in the final]. I wish I could have put on a better performance for all of you, but you guys have still been there and lifted me up.' Anisimova simply froze on the grandest stage she has ascended to so far in her career. It can happen to anyone, just ask the players of Inter Milan after they were demolished 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Champions League final. A former junior tennis prodigy – having won the 2017 Junior US Open and being ranked as high as second in the world – Anisimova is determined to bounce back from this setback. Having quit tennis in 2023, for mental health reasons, the American is not ready to walk away again. 'It's a fork in the road. It's whatever direction you want to go in. I'm going to choose the path of working towards my goals and to try and keep improving. Hopefully I put myself in more positions and opportunities like [at this Wimbledon],' Anisimova said. Equity talk Nevertheless, the one-sided Wimbledon final has once again sparked debate about equity in the tennis world. While the winners of Grand Slams receive the same prize money, at general tour competitions there are still pay disparities. Critics of elite women wanting to earn as much as the men in tennis have zeroed in on the non-contest between Świątek and Anisimova. In addition, such detractors have also argued that women should never earn the same as their counterparts because they only play a maximum of three sets. However, this argument falls flat because outside of Grand Slams (where pay is equal), the men's tennis players also participate in the best-of-three-sets matches. In any case, retired French tennis player Marion Bartoli believes the current crop of women's tennis players could play five sets if such a regulation was passed. Bartoli also cautioned against using the rare result seen in the Wimbledon final to assassinate women's tennis. 'That final was special, so I don't think you can take that one example and extrapolate it to say that women should play best-of-five. Usually we see longer finals, like the one at Roland-Garros. It's a discussion the players need to have with the WTA,' Bartoli told CLAY. 'Women are absolutely capable of playing best-of-five sets,' the 2013 Wimbledon champion added. 'Taking that step would require today's players to sit down and really consider whether it's what's best for women's tennis or not. It's not up to us, the former players, to make that decision,' Bartoli said. Nevertheless, the odds are that Anisimova would have still been pumelled even in a five-set situation. Świątek was just at her destructive best. DM
15-07-2025
- Sport
Amanda Anisimova reflects on 'surreal' Wimbledon finish, momentum headed into favorite major US Open
Amanda Anisimova had the best Grand Slam finish of her career at The Wimbledon Championships, and though she fell short to Iga Świątek in the final, the American tennis star is taking away some unmatched memories and lessons for her next major of the season. Amanda Anisimova opens up on Wimbledon finish, champagne interruptions "It was such a remarkable experience for me, and making it to the first Grand Slam final and it being at Wimbledon was a surreal feeling," the 23-year-old said in a new interview with "Good Morning America." "Even though it didn't go the way I would have wanted it to go, my opponent obviously was was playing some great tennis, and I've had to compete against so many incredible athletes throughout the entire fortnight," she continued. Despite her runner-up finish, Anisimova has since jumped up the WTA rankings, breaking into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7. "It feels so surreal to be ranked [No.] 7 right now -- it's my career high and what a quick turnaround for me," she told "GMA." Anisimova added that there were larger takeaways, like having her family present and "getting to experience that moment with me," which she called "incredibly special." "Getting to meet Kate Middleton after the final at the ceremony, there were so many special moments and so many other things that I can take away apart from the performance in itself," she added. The New Jersey native took a hiatus from the professional circuit in May 2023 until January 2024 to focus on her mental health and said that "it's been quite the journey coming back." "The most important thing for me since coming back has honestly been doing everything on my own terms and just enjoying the moment," she said. "And that's what I told myself coming out into Wimbledon. I was just incredibly excited to just be playing in the main draw, because I didn't make it last year." Anisimova made history as the youngest American woman singles player to advance to the Wimbledon finals -- after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka -- since Serena Williams. "Getting to play on on Centre Court and winning against the most incredible athlete in tennis right now was super special to me and just an exhilarating feeling," she said. "It'll last me a lifetime of memories for sure." The iconic All England Lawn Tennis venue brought with it some very posh quirks, including champagne bottles popping mid-match that prompted officials to silence spectators. "That was like the 15th time, so I think that my reaction was valid -- it was just a reminder of where I was," Anisimova recalled. "It felt very English -- but it was a funny experience for sure. And then after the match, I was able to laugh about it afterwards, of course." Amanda Anisimova has high hopes to 'go far' at US Open With the final major of the season just over a month out, Anisimova said she's excited to return to Queens and get on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "The U.S. Open is my favorite tournament by far. It's always super exciting to be playing there, and I'm sure I'll have the whole home crowd cheering for me over there," she said. "Again, all of my family is going to come and support me -- I am sure it's going to be a great tournament. And hopefully I can go far again." Sabalenka is the current defending women's singles U.S. Open champion.
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
How Amanda Anisimova is getting over Wimbledon heartbreak
Amanda Anisimova is loving the sand at her feet following Saturday's heartbreaking Wimbledon defeat. Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 23-year-old New Jersey native — who fell to Poland's Iga Swiatek in the ladies' final at the All England Club this past weekend — posted a beachy snap to her Stories while rocking a green Wimbledon cap. She also took in some family time, as seen in a separate videos. The posts were shared days after Anisimova reached her first-ever Grand Slam final following an upset win over top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semis. 5 Amanda Anisimova posted a beachy snap on Instagram following a heartbreaking end to her Wimbledon run in July 2025. Instagram 5 The American lost to Poland's Iga Swiatek (l.) in the ladies' final at Wimbledon on July 12, 2025. Xinhua/Shutterstock Anisimova, who had previously taken time away from tennis to focus on her mental health, experienced difficulty settling into the championship match, with her nerves taking over. Swiatek, a former world No. 1, dominated her American opponent, 6-0, 6-0, in less than an hour. The win marked Swiatek's first at Wimbledon and her sixth Grand Slam victory overall. 5 Amanda Anisimova fell to Iga Swiatek in two sets. TOLGA AKMEN/EPA/Shutterstock 5 The championship match marked Anisimova's first Grand Slam final. Javier Garcia/Shutterstock 'I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks,' Swiatek, 24, told her Animisova afterward. 'Anyways, no matter what happened today, you should be proud of the work you're doing. I hope we're going to play many more finals here and other tournaments. You have a game for that. So, congrats to your team as well.' Anisimova, whose world ranking soared to a career-high No. 7 as of Monday, expressed gratitude for the support she received at Wimbledon over the past few weeks. 'Thank you everyone for the immense amount of support and kind words, it doesn't go unnoticed,' she wrote Sunday on Instagram. 5 Amanda Anisimova received support from the tennis community following a memorable Wimbledon run. AP ''If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same' a quote you read before walking onto center court & one I'll be carrying with me.' Members of the tennis community rallied around Anisimova following the loss to Swiatek, including reigning French Open champion and fellow American Coco Gauff. 'So much to be proud of Amanda keep your head up,' Gauff wrote on X. Tennis icon Billie Jean King penned on the social media platform, 'Congratulations once again to the Champion, @iga_swiatek, and the Finalist, Amanda Anisimova. So much to be proud of here.' Entering Saturday, Anisimova's best finish at Wimbledon had been the 2022 quarterfinals.
New Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Iga Swiatek is at No. 3 after Wimbledon and Amanda Anisimova is in the top 10. Sinner still No. 1
LONDON: Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon championship moved her up to No. 3 in the WTA rankings Monday, and Amanda Anisimova's runner-up finish allowed the American to break into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7. A year ago, Anisimova was ranked 189th and wasn't able to get into the field at the All England Club automatically. So she tried to qualify but lost. This year, Anisimova was seeded at Wimbledon and made it all the way to her first Grand Slam final, beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals before losing to Swiatek 6-0, 6-0. 'I look at it, and I'm like, 'Oh, wow.' It's kind of a shock at first, and I can't really process it. Then it's like, 'Oh, yeah, I've played very well so far this year,' so it kind of makes sense. I feel like I kind of look at it from both sides,' Anisimova said. She climbed from No. 12. 'I mean, it's super special and a surreal feeling to be in the top 10,' Anisimova said. 'If I thought to myself last year, if someone told me that I'll be breaking the top 10 by now, I don't know, it would be pretty surprising to me considering where I was last summer.' Swiatek was No. 1 for most of the past three seasons but a year without reaching a tournament final dropped her to No. 8 last month. Making the final at a grass-court tournament before Wimbledon pushed her up to No. 4, and now she's another place higher after collecting her sixth major trophy.
