Surprise Support Lifts Wimbledon Finalist Anisimova

5th Seed On Outpouring: ‘It’s Been A Heartfelt Few Weeks’

By Richard Osborn

Some losses hit harder than others.

Especially when that defeat comes at the All England Club, when you’re playing for the Venus Rosewater Dish, with the eyes of the sports world upon you. By a lopsided scoreline. Amanda’s Anisimova’s 57-minute double-bagel loss to Iga Swiatek in July, the tournament’s first 6-0, 6-0 women’s final in more than a century, wasn’t an easy one to swallow.

But credit the 23-year-old American with how she handled the moment. After briefly retreating from the court to collect herself, Anisimova, who was appearing in her first major singles final, returned for the trophy ceremony, graciously crediting her opponent and thanking her family and friends for their unconditional support. That backing, it turns out, would come from far and wide, via texts, in X comments, from strangers on the street.

“It was really special to see how many people were sending me the sweetest messages. Lots of support from people, which I wasn’t really expecting after the performance I had,” said Anisimova on Thursday ahead of the Cincinnati Open, where she’s the fifth seed. “I felt really bad because I wish I could have put on a better performance, or could have competed harder, especially in a Grand Slam final.”

“There was definitely that side of guilt immediately after,” she added. “To see what everyone was saying to me after really helped me get through that. It reminded me of just how far I’ve come and what it actually took to get to the final after those two weeks. It’s not often that you get a lot of positive feedback on social media.”

Despite the loss, Anisimova would crack the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 7. It’s where many a forecaster figured she would one day be when she burst onto the scene at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2018; a tall, confident 16-year-old powerballer from Jersey who could hold her own from the baseline. Anisimova would famously stun two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, 6-2, 6-4, en route to the Round of 16.

She didn’t have a role model, per se; just an unbending sense of self-belief.

“I didn’t always have someone that I looked up to every day,” said Anisimova, one of four American women currently ranked among the Top 10, along with No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Jessica Pegula and No. 8 Madison Keys. “I just had a passion for the sport. I just loved competing myself. But I obviously looked up to Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. I grew up watching them.”

She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros in 2019, but later that same year lost her father, Konstantin, to a reported heart attack. It was a lot to navigate given the demands of her new livelihood, and as a result her ranking suffered. By 2023, she needed a break. She would go back to school and uncover the normalcy she so needed. When she returned to the tour in January 2024, she was all but a new person, reenergized and no longer dreading the travel, the everyday (and oft unrelenting) demands of tour life.

Anisimova credits her coaches, Dutchmen Rob Brandsma and Hendrik Vleeshouwers, with keeping things loose, allowing her to play more freely.   

“It’s definitely very entertaining. They’re very humorous guys. I have a lot of fun with them, for sure,” said Anisimova, whose best result in Cincinnati was a Round of 16 showing in 2018. “They’re very extremely passionate about what they do, very caring. It’s been a great journey that we’ve been on. I feel like we really enjoy the work we do on and off the court. It’s been a really great partnership so far. I’ve worked with my fitness coach, Rob, for a while now. I’ve known him going way back. We’ve clicked, so it’s been good.”

Even her supporters have picked up on that newfound sense of calm. Maybe that’s why so many reached out to her after her loss at Wimbledon, picking up a player, a person, in a time of need.

“I’ve had a lot of incredible interactions. Everyone that has come up to me has been so sweet and have said the nicest words. I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” she said. “Just being able to interact with people, having conversations and hearing how much they enjoyed watching me means the world to me. It’s been a heartfelt few weeks.”