Amanda Anisimova claimed what she called “the most meaningful victory of my life” after defeating world number two Iga Swiatek in the US Open quarter-finals — just weeks after a humiliating straight-sets loss to the Pole in the Wimbledon final.
Only 53 days ago, Swiatek demolished Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 at SW19. But under the lights at Flushing Meadows, the American eighth seed turned the tables with a composed 6-4, 6-3 win in a high-quality encounter.
Anisimova revealed she rewatched the painful Wimbledon loss the night before the match to identify her mistakes and fuel her resolve. "As painful as it was... I had to see what I could avoid," she said. “Then I watched some good highlights to cleanse that from my brain!”
Now 24, Anisimova has spoken candidly about her renewed mental strength after taking a break from tennis to prioritise her mental health. “A few years ago, I might have blamed myself or held onto guilt. This time, I bounced back quickly,” she said.
She next faces four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated 11th seed Karolina Muchova to reach the semi-finals.
Reflecting on her previous Grand Slam final, Anisimova admitted her main regret was for the fans: “People paid so much for those tickets. That guilt stayed with me more than the loss.” Yet, she managed to laugh it off shortly after. “At the end of the day, it’s just tennis. I’m happy now — I wasn’t a couple of years ago.”
Having exited early in Montreal and Cincinnati, Anisimova said she arrived in New York with “a little bit of fear”. But her confidence surged as the tournament progressed. Against Swiatek, she was fearless.
Swiatek broke in the first game, triggering Wimbledon flashbacks. “I thought, here we go,” said Anisimova. But she quickly broke back, showed poise throughout, and ended with 23 winners. She dominated Swiatek’s second serve and secured a break at 4-4 to take the first set.
Though Swiatek returned fired up and broke again, Anisimova held firm. She broke in the eighth game of the second set and served out the win, securing her third Grand Slam semi-final berth.
Source: BBC
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