Amanda Anisimova reflects on ‘surreal’ Wimbledon finish, momentum headed into favorite major US Open

(NEW YORK) — Amanda Anisimova had the best Grand Slam finish of her career at The Wimbledon Championships, and though she fell short to Iga Świątek in the final, the American tennis star is taking away some unmatched memories and lessons for her next major of the season.

Amanda Anisimova opens up on Wimbledon finish, champagne interruptions

“It was such a remarkable experience for me, and making it to the first Grand Slam final and it being at Wimbledon was a surreal feeling,” the 23-year-old said in a new interview with “Good Morning America.”

“Even though it didn’t go the way I would have wanted it to go, my opponent obviously was was playing some great tennis, and I’ve had to compete against so many incredible athletes throughout the entire fortnight,” she continued.

Despite her runner-up finish, Anisimova has since jumped up the WTA rankings, breaking into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7.

“It feels so surreal to be ranked [No.] 7 right now — it’s my career high and what a quick turnaround for me,” she told “GMA.”

Anisimova added that there were larger takeaways, like having her family present and “getting to experience that moment with me,” which she called “incredibly special.”

“Getting to meet Kate Middleton after the final at the ceremony, there were so many special moments and so many other things that I can take away apart from the performance in itself,” she added.

The New Jersey native took a hiatus from the professional circuit in May 2023 until January 2024 to focus on her mental health and said that “it’s been quite the journey coming back.”

“The most important thing for me since coming back has honestly been doing everything on my own terms and just enjoying the moment,” she said. “And that’s what I told myself coming out into Wimbledon. I was just incredibly excited to just be playing in the main draw, because I didn’t make it last year.”

Anisimova made history as the youngest American woman singles player to advance to the Wimbledon finals — after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka — since Serena Williams.

“Getting to play on on Centre Court and winning against the most incredible athlete in tennis right now was super special to me and just an exhilarating feeling,” she said. “It’ll last me a lifetime of memories for sure.”

The iconic All England Lawn Tennis venue brought with it some very posh quirks, including champagne bottles popping mid-match that prompted officials to silence spectators.

“That was like the 15th time, so I think that my reaction was valid — it was just a reminder of where I was,” Anisimova recalled. “It felt very English — but it was a funny experience for sure. And then after the match, I was able to laugh about it afterwards, of course.”

“The U.S. Open is my favorite tournament by far. It’s always super exciting to be playing there, and I’m sure I’ll have the whole home crowd cheering for me over there,” she said. “Again, all of my family is going to come and support me — I am sure it’s going to be a great tournament. And hopefully I can go far again.”

Sabalenka is the current defending women’s singles U.S. Open champion.

Anisimova has competed five times in the main draw. Her best U.S. Open finish was reaching the third round in 2020.