Wimbledon 2025: Amanda Anisimova stuns world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to seal final spot

American battles to 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in scorching conditions at the All England Club

Amanda Anisimova after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of Wimbledon. EPA

Amanda Anisimova has reached her maiden Grand Slam final after a surprise win over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon on Thursday.

As London returned to the scorching temperatures of earlier in the tournament, Anisimova kept a cool head to defeat Sabalenka in three sets, condemning the Belarusian to a third semi-final defeat at the All England Club.

The 23-year-old American secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over a draining two hours and 37 minutes on Centre Court.

“This doesn't feel real right now,” said 13th seed Anisimova, whose previous best performance at the grass-court major was reaching the last eight in 2022. “Aryna is such a tough competitor and I was dying out there.

“ Yeah, I don't know how I pulled it off. She's such an incredible competitor, such an inspiration to me and so many other players.

"We had so many tough battles and to come on top today to get into the final at Wimbledon is incredibly special. The atmosphere was incredible.

“I know she's number one but so many were cheering for me so I just want to say a huge 'thank you' to everyone.

“To be honest if you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon I would not believe you. To be in the final is just indescribable, honestly.”

At an oven-like Centre Court, Sabalenka twice rushed to the aid of ill fans by supplying bottles of cold water and an ice pack, before she cracked under pressure from her opponent in the 10th game.

Anisimova, playing in her first major semi-final since her 2019 French Open run as a gifted teenager, made her opponent sweat for every point and wrapped up the opening set when Sabalenka produced a double fault.

With her back against the wall, Sabalenka roared back, the animal that has become her totem, and broke for a 4-3 lead en route to levelling up the match at one set apiece after some sloppy errors from 13th seed Anisimova's racket.

Having matched each other's decibel levels in a cacophony of grunting, the duo swapped breaks at the start of the decider but Anisimova pounced again when Sabalenka sent a shot long and went on to book a final with Iga Swiatek, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0.

Anisimova, who took a mental health break in 2023, said that making the final left her in disbelief.

“It's been a year turnaround since coming back and to be in this spot … I mean, it's not easy and so many people dream of, competing on this incredible court,” she added.

“It's been such a privilege to compete here and to be in the final is just indescribable.”

The men's semi-finals take place on Friday which will see Spanish defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on American fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the opening game on Centre Court.

Second seed Alcaraz, bidding for a third successive Wimbledon title and a sixth Grand Slam title in total, has got better and better throughout the tournament and will be an overwhelming favourite to end the run of the big-serving Fritz.

When the 22-year-old Alcaraz needed five sets to get past veteran Italian Fabio Fognini in the first round it appeared that the physical and mental toil of defending his French Open crown had perhaps left him vulnerable.

Since then, however, Alcaraz has begun to look unstoppable in his quest to become only the fifth man in the professional era to win three successive Wimbledon titles, joining Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

That will be followed by world No 1 Jannik Sinner's blockbusting clash with 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic.

The Serbian cancelled his afternoon practice session at Wimbledon on Thursday, a day after the seven-time champion suffered an awkward fall moments before clinching his quarter-final victory over Flavio Cobolli.

Italian Sinner had similarly cancelled his own practice session a day after hurting his right elbow during his fourth-round victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Then he went out and beat Ben Shelton in straight sets on Wednesday.