The last time Amanda Anisimova played Iga Swiatek, things got ugly. It was the final of Wimbledon, and the American had made a surprise run to the final. She wouldn't win a game once she got there, however. The Pole won 6-0 6-0.
For many players, that kind of loss might be crushing and career-altering. With Anisimova, a player who took time away from the sport because of the stresses involved, one might have wondered if she would ever come close to playing in a final again.
Yet, just one Grand Slam later, the 24-year-old American has a real chance to get to another major final. To even win a single game against a player who had white-washed the other is uplifting, but taking the first set in the next matchup is completely different.
Amanda Anisimova defeats Iga Swiatek at the 2025 US Open
Anisimova played with poise and calm, the kind one didn't know if she had in the Wimbledon final. But due to overpowering shots from both wings, Anisimova took set one 6-4. Defeating Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam winner and a player who had never lost a major final, would still not be easy, though. Few players have ever had the faith in themselves that Swiatek has.
But the Pole struggled landing her first serve, and when she didn't, Anisimova made her pay with bombastic shots that kept the WTA No. 2 off-balance and deep on her side. The American kept pounding the ball near the baseline, so much so that Swiatek could never get comfortable.
The second set played out the same as the first set, but remained tight. At 4-3, Amanda Anisimova got the break she needed and then had to hold to take the match. She did so, taking set two 6-3.
Anisimova had never made it past the third round in New York before. Now, she looks like she could win the US Open. She will not have an easy match in the semifinals, however. She will play an in-form Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova. No offense to Muchova, but the Anisimova versus Osaka match would be a huge draw for tennis. And a great match.