Amanda Anisimova delivered the shock of the 2025 U.S. Open on Wednesday, ousting No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals.
The victory was especially sweet for the 24-year-old American, who just 53 days earlier endured a lopsided 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Swiatek in the Wimbledon final. This time, on the hard courts of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Anisimova’s aggressive baseline play and heavy groundstrokes turned the tables, marking the tournament’s biggest upset to date.
The match began tightly, with both players trading breaks. Anisimova struck first in key rallies, tallying 12 winners in the opening set to Swiatek’s seven. At 4-4, she broke serve and closed out the frame 6-4, drawing roars from a crowd eager to see how she would respond to their recent history.
Swiatek, a three-time French Open champion and the 2022 U.S. Open winner, briefly steadied in the second set, earning an early break. But Anisimova quickly countered, breaking back and continuing to apply pressure with powerful returns. Swiatek’s serve faltered—her first-serve percentage dipped to 50%—and double faults at 3-4 handed the American control.
Serving at 5-3, Anisimova held three match points and converted the third in dramatic fashion when her shot clipped the net cord and dropped over. The New Jersey native threw her hands to the sky as the stadium erupted.
Swiatek, who has enjoyed another strong Slam season despite the loss, credited Anisimova’s return game but admitted her own serve left her vulnerable. “I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that,” she said afterward.
Anisimova, meanwhile, praised her mindset. “Today I came out with not an ounce of fear,” she said. “I really proved something to myself.”
Next up for Anisimova is a semifinal against either Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion making a resurgent run, or Czechia’s Karolina Muchova, into her third straight U.S. Open semifinal.
Source: usopen.org