Amanda Anisimova produced the performance of her career to knock out top seed Aryna Sabalenka, while Iga Swiatek breezed past Belinda Bencic to reach her maiden Wimbledon final, setting up an exciting women’s singles title clash on Saturday.
The unseeded American stunned the world No.1 Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a top-draw semi-final on Centre Court. The 23-year-old held her nerve in a tense final set, overcoming a mid-match dip and a brief interruption caused by a medical emergency in the crowd. Anisimova’s focus was tested again when Sabalenka confronted her late in the match for not acknowledging a net-cord winner. But the American remained unfazed and closed out the win in two hours and 12 minutes to become the first American woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final since Serena Williams in 2019.
This marks a major milestone in Anisimova’s career, who had never previously gone beyond the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam. Her aggressive baseline play and ability to absorb pressure proved decisive against the hard-hitting Belarusian.
Maiden final for Iga Swiatek
Earlier, former World No. 1 Swiatek delivered a masterclass to humble Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in just over an hour. The four-time Grand Slam champion, long regarded as a clay-court specialist, showcased her growing confidence on grass with a dominant display of power, precision, and court coverage. Bencic struggled to find answers as Swiatek reeled off 10 consecutive games to seal a one-sided victory.
A brief pause in play due to another spectator falling ill did little to disrupt Swiatek’s momentum, who stayed focused throughout and never allowed Bencic a foothold in the match.
With contrasting semi-final wins, Swiatek and Anisimova will now face off in Saturday’s final -- their first-ever meeting on grass -- in what promises to be a fascinating battle between grit and consistency.
