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New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Anisimova 'frozen by nerves' in historic Wimbledon final rout
LONDON: Amanda Anisimova said she was "frozen by nerves" as her Wimbledon dream turned into a nightmare as Iga Swiatek romped to a historic 6-0, 6-0 victory in Saturday's final. Anisimova had enjoyed a fairytale run to her first Grand Slam final just 18 months after returning to the game from a break to help her mental health. However, she admitted the occasion and the draining nature of a two-week slam played in blistering conditions during a London heatwave had taken its toll in the most one-sided final for 114 years. "I was a bit frozen there with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks I got a bit tired or something," said Anisimova who will climb to a career-high seventh in the world thanks to her run at the All England Club. "It's not how I would have wanted my first Grand Slam final to go. "I think I was a little bit in shock after, as well. But I told myself, 'I'll definitely come out stronger after this'. That's not an easy thing to go through, losing 6-0, 6-0 in a Grand Slam final. "If anything, I can look at it as a positive and something I can look at as motivation going forward. Obviously there's a lot of things I need to do to progress." Anisimova returned to action in January 2024 and has since fought her way back from well outside the world's top 400. This season has been the best of her career so far -- winning the Qatar Open in February.
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Amanda Anisimova silences doubters with stunning Wimbledon final run
AMANDA ANISIMOVA has silenced her doubters by reaching her first Wimbledon final, just two years after being warned that a mental health break could derail her career. The 23-year-old American, seeded 13th, stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in Thursday's semi-final on Centre Court. Anisimova will now face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in Saturday's title match. The achievement marks a remarkable turnaround for the former teen prodigy, who stepped away from tennis in 2023 due to depression caused by the pressures of early success. After her breakthrough run to the 2019 French Open semi-finals at just 17, Anisimova struggled to meet expectations. Critics warned that her hiatus would jeopardize her career, but she has proven them wrong with a resurgent 2025 season. Following a drop outside the top 400 upon her return, she claimed the Qatar Open in February and reached the Queen's Club final in June. Her Wimbledon success guarantees a top-10 WTA ranking next week, a first for the American. Reflecting on her journey, Anisimova said, 'When I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game. Just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritise yourself—that's been incredibly special.' Anisimova is only the second player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final after losing in qualifying the previous year. 'For it to happen here is still a little bit unbelievable to me,' she admitted. Her upcoming clash with Swiatek holds sentimental value, as the pair last met in the Junior Fed Cup finals. 'Iga is such an unbelievable player. She's been an inspiration to me,' Anisimova said. 'Getting to compete against her again is going to be super special.' - AFP
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Amanda Anisimova silences doubters with Wimbledon final run
AMANDA ANISIMOVA has silenced her doubters by reaching the Wimbledon final, just two years after taking a mental health break that many warned could end her career. The 23-year-old American, seeded 13th, defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a thrilling semi-final on Centre Court. Anisimova will now face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in Saturday's final. This marks a remarkable comeback for the former teen prodigy, who stepped away from tennis in 2023 due to depression caused by the pressures of early success. 'I think it's different for everyone. I think it goes to show that it is possible,' Anisimova said. 'When I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game.' Her journey back has been far from easy. After returning last year, she fell outside the top 400 but steadily rebuilt her form, winning the Qatar Open in February and reaching the Queen's Club final in June. Now, she is set to break into the WTA top 10 for the first time. Anisimova is only the second player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final after failing to qualify the previous year. 'It's incredibly special,' she said. 'For it to happen here is still a little bit unbelievable to me.' She has never faced Swiatek professionally but recalls their junior days, including a loss in the Junior Fed Cup finals. 'Iga is such an unbelievable player. She's also been an inspiration to me,' Anisimova said. 'Getting to compete against her again is going to be super special.' - AFP
France 24
08-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Anisimova into first Wimbledon semi-final as former teen star returns to spotlight
Anisimova, seeded 13th, saved five set points in a dramatic second set on Court One before finally sealing the win at the fourth time of asking. It was a memorable triumph for the 23-year-old, who was hailed as a teenage sensation after reaching the 2019 French Open semi-finals. "It was such a battle there. She started to play some unreal tennis. That tie-break was super-stressful. I'm super-excited to be in the semi-finals for the first time. It's special," said Anisimova, who will next play world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Anisimova has struggled to live up to the hype which followed her run to the last four at Roland Garros aged just 17. She made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2022, but took an eight-month break from tennis the following year after suffering with depression brought on by the scrutiny and expectations that came with being a teen prodigy. "I was just struggling with the lifestyle and just dealing with a lot of stress from it, and it was affecting me a lot on the court," she said in May. "I felt like it was just unfair for me to keep pushing and pushing as if I'm not a human being. "I think that I refreshed my mind and I took the time that I needed." Immediately after returning to action last year, Anisimova dropped outside the top 400. But she won the Qatar Open this February and showed she is comfortable on grass by reaching the Queen's Club final in June. Now she is one win away from the Wimbledon final. However, the woman standing between her and that achievement is Sabalenka, who defeated Anisimova in straight sets at Roland Garros last month. "It's been an extraordinary year for me. So many highs. It's been such a ride," she said. © 2025 AFP
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'Tennis brat' Wimbledon star held up skirt and called for umpire to be banned
Jelena Ostapenko has been involved in a number of controversial incidents throughout her career, with the Latvian star once calling for an umpire to be banned Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko has once again found herself in the headlines during Wimbledon. The 28-year-old has reached the women's doubles quarter-finals alongside partner Hsieh Su-wei. Ostapenko recently caused a stir when she was questioned about her outfit by umpire Jamie Crowson ahead of their second round match. In response, an exasperated Ostapenko lifted her skirt to reveal green undershorts, demonstrating compliance with Wimbledon's updated all-white dress code, which has allowed female competitors to wear dark undershorts since 2023. However, this isn't the first time Ostapenko's on-court conduct has raised eyebrows. Last year, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist had a notable disagreement with another umpire. During a quarter-final loss to Victoria Azarenka at the 2024 Brisbane International, Ostapenko demanded that umpire Julie Kjnedlie be barred from officiating her future matches. The contentious incident took place when the deciding set in her was evenly poised at 4-4. Ostapenko was convinced her drop shot had bounced twice after falling the right side of the net. However, the umpire disagreed with Ostapenko, leading the current world No. 21 to berate the official and be labelled a 'tennis brat' by fans on social media. "You are blind," Ostapenko argued, as reported by Express. "It is impossible to play when you make so much mistakes. I never want you at my match again. You will never be at my match. I don't want you at my matches, you ruin my matches." Despite the heated exchange, Ostapenko still managed a post-match handshake with Azarenka. However, tensions between the two players flared again at the Qatar Open weeks later. Perhaps still smarting from another defeat, Ostapenko's attempt at sportsmanship with an outstretched racket instead of a handshake left Azarenka less than impressed, prompting her to dismissively wave it away. The Latvian star has also been at the centre of several controversial moments at Wimbledon. Most notably in 2021, when she was accused of gamesmanship by Ajla Tomljanovic. The claim was made following Ostapenko's request for a medical timeout when losing 4-0 in the final set. "I have been in situations where players use that medical timeout to get their opponent off, usually when they are losing badly," a sceptical Tomljanovic told reporters. "I know when someone is injured and when someone is not. She can say she was injured - I don't think she was." However, Ostapenko hit back at Tomljanovic's claims. "She cannot say anything because she knows zero about my injury," Ostapenko insisted. "I thought it was very, very disrespectful from her side, because every single player who is playing tennis or any other sports can get injured." The following year, the former French Open winner faced a hostile crowd at SW19 when she was booed off the court after a fourth-round defeat to Tatjana Maria. The crowd reaction camera after she threw a water bottle at her chair. Tennis legend Caroline Wozniacki shared her own experience of sharing a court with Ostapenko during the 2023 Australian Open. While on commentary duty for her win over Coco Gauff, Wozniacki said: "Let's just say I practiced with her once and chose not to do so again." Despite a singles defeat to Britain's Sonay Kartal and an early exit in the mixed doubles, Ostapenko remains in contention for the women's doubles crown at Wimbledon. With a history of success in doubles, including reaching three Grand Slam finals and securing the US Open title last year, the 28-year-old is a formidable force on the court. However, controversy followed Ostapenko at the Abu Dhabi Open in February, where an opponent labelled her " disrespectful" after a quarter-final match. Partnering with Ellen Perez, Ostapenko faced Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez and was accused of interrupting their attempt to switch ends. Following a tense exchange with Ostapenko, Babos took to Instagram to vent her frustrations with a cryptic post-match message. "Some players are just sooo fake and disrespectful," she wrote. "I don't care how good they are or how well they hit the ball; they just have to have respect and manners." Ostapenko will hope to leave Wimbledon with another Grand Slam title this month. Along with Hsieh, Ostapenko is gearing up for their Wimbledon women's doubles quarter-final clash against Sorana Cirstea and Anna Kalinskaya this Tuesday.
