Amanda Anisimova's Wimbledon heroics cap remarkable career turnaround

What a difference 12 months make.

Exactly a year ago, Amanda Anisimova lost in the third round of qualifying at Wimbledon, failing to make the main draw. The American returned to the WTA Tour in January 2024 as World No. 442, seven months after taking a hiatus citing "mental health and burnout." It was widely believed that her days as a top-ranked player were over.

On Thursday, the 23-year-old became the first American woman since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach the Wimbledon finals, prevailing in a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The New Jersey native showed tremendous poise to secure the win after failing to capitalize on a break point in the second set, allowing Sabalenka to seize control and force a third set.

In the deciding set, Anisimova suffered another early break of serve, which led to Sabalenka, the self-proclaimed tigress, letting out a roar that got Centre Court fans on their feet. Remarkably, she managed to break the Belarusian twice in a row to take a 3-1 lead, then held serve after falling behind 40-15, before completing the upset.

She is the second woman in the Open Era to reach a major final a year after losing in the qualifying round, and the youngest American since Serena Williams in 2004 to do so at Wimbledon.