Amanda Anisimova rediscovers her magic to set up maiden Slam final

That was May 2023, when Anisimova, now 23, was still a prodigy – a French Open semi-finalist at 17 and a 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist. “It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time,” she told her followers.

Sensitivity requires us to say that not everyone can “push through” such feelings and reach a Wimbledon singles final. To universalise recovery as a quest for high achievement may not be helpful. But Centre Court could justifiably celebrate Anisimova’s perseverance and exceptional talent, which was too much for the world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

The prize was a Saturday final against Iga Świątek, who demolished Belinda Bencic in the other semi. All this, 12 months after Anisimova failed to make it through Wimbledon’s qualifiers. In the media theatre she took on board a question about encouraging others: “I think it’s different for everyone. I think it goes to show that it is possible. I think that’s a really special message that I think I’ve been able to show, because when I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game.

“That was a little hard to digest because I did want to come back and still achieve a lot and win a Grand Slam one day. Just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself…so that’s been incredibly special to me. Yeah, it means a lot.”

Anyone oblivious to her backstory would simply have marvelled at her smooth athleticism, shot-making and ability to pile pressure on Sabalenka, who was annoyed by Anisimova celebrating points “early” and “pissed off” about her defending her right to do it.

The casual Centre Court day tripper wouldn’t have known Anisimova had to put her fitness as well as her mental health back together. She was having stress-related stomach aches. After seven months out she needed a formula to regain her strength to match the heavy hitters. With her ranking in the 200s, she hired coach Rick Vleeshouwers, strength and conditioning expert Rob Brandsma and later a physiotherapist, Shadi Soleymani.

To reach the last four here was vindication enough for her decision in 2023 to stop working on her game and start working on her mental health. Earlier in this tournament she said something striking about what she discovered on the sidelines. “What I’ve learned is to listen honestly to yourself, to your intuition and what your body is telling you.”

There is more of this kind of self-care in modern sport than when covering up and coping were the norm. “I learned a lot about myself, my interests off the court and just taking some time to breathe and live a normal life for a bit,” Anisimova said.

Her team told her to look at them in the players’ box when her nerves fray. They remind her, in her words, to “calm down and breathe.” After beating Sabalenka, she said, “I was dying out there.” But all the crowd could see was a marvellous talent that’s back in business.

She added: “I think ever since I took my break, I just found this new perspective and this newfound sense of fighting for everything, and accepting the challenges that come, and embracing them.”

In events as intense as these, it’s especially touching to see a young person recovering their equilibrium. A measure of her victory is that Sabalenka had reached four consecutive Grand Slam finals. Anisimova’s youthful promise, which might have been lost, has recovered its glow on these lawns.

Photograph by Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images