Amanda Anisimova will forever be tied to her devastating loss in the Wimbledon final earlier this year.
However, last night’s magical triumph over Iga Swiatek, her conqueror in that maiden major final, will go a long way towards scrubbing such a result from memory.
After all, she showcased indomitable resilience to return from such a beatdown to then overcome many people’s favourite for the US Open title in straight sets.
It was a comprehensive, clinical display from Anisimova, who was relentless.
And, in her post-match press conference, she made a startling revelation regarding that Wimbledon final, which took many by surprise.
Amanda Anisimova reveals that she re-watched her Wimbledon final before Iga Swiatek match
Asked about that match, and how she felt like her response had been, Amanda Anisimova freely admitted: “Last night, nobody told me to, but I watched them back, as painful as it was, just to see like what I can avoid or what went wrong. Then, after I had to watch some good highlights to like remove that from my brain!
“I think it was important for me to kind of see what happened last night going into today’s match. But back then, it was just kind of like move on. It’s just kind of a freak thing that happened. I have family and friends. I still have the hardcourt swing to go. So it was kind of like just move on to the next.”
The reporter then questioned what she felt she had learned from doing that, to which Anisimova claimed, with a wry smile: “That I was slow as hell!”
The American continued: “My reactions were just so slow. It happens. I’m a human, and some people just freeze sometimes. I was also exhausted. I was really fatigued in those last days of the tournament.
“And something I’m working on is being more physically fit to last two weeks in a Grand Slam. It’s not just the matches we play. There’s a lot of stress associated with these matches and the anticipation. So, it was just a combination of things. And I think as I gain more experience, then I’m going to get better and better at it. But I feel like every day I’m trying to improve and I’m trying to learn more.”
In her own press conference, meanwhile, Swiatek pointed out what was different about Anisimova compared to that Wimbledon final.
Amanda Anisimova’s head-to-head record vs Naomi Osaka
Things get no easier for Anisimova now, as she will have to move on swiftly from her win over Swiatek in order to prepare for a new task.
Naomi Osaka awaits her in the semi-final.
A four-time Grand Slam champion who finally seems back to her brilliant best, this presents a monumental threat to the 24-year-old’s title aspirations.
However, if she is to claim another famous win, it’d be hard to bet against her in the US Open final.
Fortunately, history is on her side, having won the only two meetings that she has shared with Osaka.
And whilst both came at Grand Slams, they also came over three years ago.
This match essentially marks the revival of this rivalry, with both players completely different from the ones that clashed all those years ago.
