Amanda Anisimova thanks her mom through tears after loss in Wimbledon final.
Anisimova, whose father passed away in 2019 when she was just 17 years old, said, “My mom is the most selfless person I know, and she’s done everything to get me to this point in my life.”
LONDON— Amanda Anisimova repeatedly apologized to the Centre Court audience for her performance in the Wimbledon final, when she lost to Iga Swiatek 6-0, 6-0, and for the emotions that made it difficult for her to give a speech afterwards.
Anisimova, a 23-year-old American competing for her first major title, made sure to express her gratitude to her mother for traveling so far to see her daughter play live.
Anisimova, whose father passed away in 2019 when she was just 17 years old, said, “My mom is the most selfless person I know, and she’s done everything to get me to this point in my life.”
On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Amanda Anisimova of the United States reacts to losing to Iga Swiatek of Poland in the women’s singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. AP/Kristin Wigglesworth
“So thank you for being here and breaking the superstition of flying in,” Anisimova said, turning to face her mother as tears filled her eyes.
Anisimova then laughed and remarked, “It’s definitely not why I lost today,” in a lighthearted allusion to her 57-minute loss.
“I’m so happy that I get to share this moment and for you to be here and witness this in person. I know you don’t get to see me live, playing, that much anymore, because you do so much for my sister and I, and you always have,” Anisimova said. “I love you so much.”
It was quite an accomplishment for Anisimova, 23, who was born in New Jersey and raised in Florida since the age of three, to even make it to a Grand Slam final, especially after defeating top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
She was a great player in her teens, defeating Coco Gauff in the junior U.S. Open final in 2017. Two years later, she made a splash as a professional by making it to the French Open quarterfinals.
Due to burnout, she said in May 2023 that she was taking a mental health vacation from the tour.
Anisimova returned to action in 2024, but her ranking of 189th just 12 months ago was too low to get into the field automatically at an event like Wimbledon, so she unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the tournament.
“No matter what happened today,” Swiatek told her, “you should be proud of the work you’re doing.”
On Saturday, she became just the second woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to get to a Grand Slam final a year after losing in qualifying. And now she will break into the top 10 for the first time.
She expressed her gratitude to her squad after the game for “just taking care of me” throughout “the whole journey it’s been, this whole past year.”
“I’m going to keep working hard even though I know I didn’t have enough today,” Anisimova remarked. “And I hope to return here someday because I always believe in myself.”
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