By Michael Davey
Iga Świątek and Amanda Anisimova will contest the Ladies’ Singles final of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday after coming through against Belinda Bencic and Aryna Sabalenka, respectively.
Anisimova surprises top-seed Sabalenka
13th-seed Anisimova shocked world No.1 Sabalenka with a gruelling 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph.
“This doesn’t feel real right now. Aryna is such a tough competitor and I was absolutely dying out there,” the American said after the match.
“She’s an inspiration to me and so many other people.
“To come out on top and be in the final at Wimbledon is incredibly special.
“I have my beautiful family over there – my sister, nephew, and brother-in-law. What a journey the last two weeks have been.”
Asked about facing Świątek in the showpiece, Anisimova was full of praise for her illustrious opponent, saying: “Iga is such an unbelievable player. She’s also been an inspiration to me. Her work ethic and all of her achievements have been really inspiring.
“I’m sure it will be an amazing match again. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special.
“Hopefully I can bring some high-quality tennis and make it a battle out there. I’m just going to go out and enjoy every moment and try to not think about what’s on the line there.”
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Świątek comfortably dispatches Bencic
Five-time Grand Slam champion and current world No.8 Świątek made light work of Bencic, knocking out the Swiss 6-2, 6-0 in a little over an hour.
“Honestly, I never even dreamt it was going to be possible for me to play in the final,” the Pole admitted in the post-match interview.
“I’m just super excited. I thought I experienced everything on the court, but I didn’t experience playing well on grass.
“I feel confident and I’m just going for it. For sure it’s working.”
Regarding the increased pressure following the recent end of her three-year French Open title–winning run, Świątek confessed: “I think I’m not going to have seasons where the pressure is not going to be kind of forced on me from the expectations from the outside anymore.
“Every year, it’s kind of the same, but I feel sometimes I can handle it better or ignore it. I think it’s easier if you haven’t won Roland Garros and also if you had more time to practise.”
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