LONDON: Amanada Anisimova admits there is room for improvement in her game, but she is not going to be too hard on herself after suffering one of the heaviest defeats in Grand Slam history.
The world No.12 was crushed 6-0, 6-0, by Iga Swiatek in what was the first women’s final at The All England Club to see a double bagel since 1911. The last time it happened in any Grand Slam final was at the 1988 French Open when Steffi Graf beat Natasha Zvereva in less than 40 minutes. Anisimova won 11 more points than Zvereva did in her match 37 years ago.
“It’s been such a special two weeks for me. I’ve enjoyed every moment that I got to experience out there. There are a lot of positives I can take with me,” Anisimova told reporters on Saturday.
“I think I was a bit frozen with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks, I got a bit tired or something. But she (Swiatek) definitely made it difficult for me. She’s an unbelievable player.”
It is a bitter end to what has been a breakthrough run for the 23-year-old. Just two days before her heavy loss on Centre Court, she scored her first-ever win over a world No.1 player after ousting Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set roller-coaster. Earlier in the draw, she also beat former Grand Slam finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and 30th seed Linda Noskova.
“It was a bit tough to digest, obviously, especially during and right after. It’s not how I would have wanted my first Grand Slam final to go,” she admits.
“I think I was a little bit in shock after, as well. I’ll definitely come out stronger after this. If anything, I can look at it as a positive and something I can look at as motivation going forward. There are a lot of things I need to do to progress.”
Anisimova was playing in the main draw at SW19 for the first time in three years. In 2023, she didn’t play after taking a break due to reasons related to her mental health. Then, when she returned, she had to play in the qualifying 12 months ago, where she lost in the second round.
Despite her age, the American has already had a roller-coaster journey in the sport, both on and off the court. Besides her mental health issues, she has also suffered tragedy with her father suddenly passing away when she was 17. Konstantin Anisimov was his daughter’s primary coach throughout her junior years.
As for the future, Anisimova outlines one key area she needs to work on if she wishes to claim her first major title. She also admits that fatigue played a part in her latest performance, which is linked to playing in the hot weather on Friday.
“It’s my physicality that I need to work on,” she said.
“To be able to last two weeks in a Grand Slam is something that you need to work a lot on. It’s not an easy feat.
“It’s my first slam final, so at least I have that experience now.”
She was also seen feeling her right shoulder a few hours before taking on Swiatek. Something, Anisimova admits, ‘could have been a factor.’ Although she adds that her nerves played a part in her serving difficulties.
Anisimova will be hoping to bounce back at her home Grand Slam in New York, which will get underway at the end of August. Although her priority is taking a short break from the Tour.
“I’m excited to get a few days off and turn my mind off of everything and just spend a lot of time with my family and friends. I don’t really care where we go or what we eat,” she stated.
