Amanda Anisimova has secured a first-ever Grand Slam final spot after a superb semifinal victory over Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon.
Anisimova labelled Sabalenka an “inspiration” after their match on Centre Court, which the American won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
She battled it out with the WTA number one for over two-and-a-half hours, eventually pulling off the shock upset over Sabalenka.
Anisimova had previously shone on the biggest stage at the 2019 French Open, where she reached the semifinals as a 17-year-old.
There she overcame both Sabalenka and defending champion Simona Halep before losing to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty.
Amanda Anisimova praised for ‘class act’ after knocking Aryna Sabalenka out of Wimbledon
Barty was the smartest player Sabalenka played against, with Anisimova now proving to be one of the most difficult after their Wimbledon clash.
But along with her fantastic ability during the match, she showed her true character with her warm comments on the Belarusian afterwards.
Such comments have drawn praise from tennis fans, with one calling Anisimova a “Class act” on X, while a second said: “So humble”.
A third fan wrote: “She spoke charismatically too,” with a fourth saying: “Very gracious and well spoken, good on ya AA!”
Other comments about her read: “Amanda’s shoutout, pure class”, “Nothing but admiration” and “Gracious”.
Billie Jean King reacts after Amanda Anisimova reaches Wimbledon final
Anisimova absolutely deserves the praise she is getting for her comments on Sabalenka, having shown great composure right after picking up one of the biggest wins of her entire career.
Moreover, the American is only 23 years old, and showed great maturity and compassion for her latest opponent amid her own delight.
And it wasn’t just fans who enjoyed her latest achievement, with tennis legend Billie Jean King thrilled for Anisimova.
King, who won six of her 12 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, wrote on X: “Cheers to Amanda Anisimova on advancing to her first major final!”
The latter does, however, now face another extremely difficult task in the final at the All England Club on Saturday.
She takes on Iga Swiatek for the prestigious trophy, with the Pole having stormed past Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in their semifinal.
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