Making her first appearance in a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, things couldn’t have gone much worse for Amanda Anisimova.
After Anisimova stunned Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, many predicted the American would cause problems for Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s Championship match.
It wasn’t to be, however, as Anisimova lost to Swiatek 0-6, 0-6, after just 57 minutes of action.
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23-year-old Anisimova became the first woman to complete a Wimbledon final without winning a game since Dora Boothby 114 years ago.
Suffering such a devastating defeat, some have questioned whether Anisimova will be able to bounce back.
Weighing in with his thoughts, two-time Wimbledon champion Jimmy Connors has given his verdict.
Jimmy Connors believes Amanda Anisimova can ‘overcome’ her Wimbledon heartbreak
During the latest episode of ‘Advantage Connors’, the American commented on Anisimova’s Wimbledon final defeat.
“You know what? I hope that does not discourage her. That is a blow. It’s a big blow. But I hope that it does not discourage her because she has come a long way,” said Connors.
“I am giving her a chance. I hope she does not get discouraged to the point where she is like I cannot overcome that.
“Yes, you can! She can! If she wants it that much.
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“I hope she does not get discouraged because, man, oh man, she would be really good for the game.”
Connors enjoyed watching Anisimova on the grass and was particularly gripped by her semifinal win.
“She has got something that kind of says I don’t care what the score is, I am still going to watch,” he said.
“I watched some of her semifinal match, and the way that she played and overcame adversity there, serving for the match and having a match point in the third, and still coming back and winning it against the number one player in the world.
“She has something that makes me want to watch her. I don’t know what it is yet, but next time I see her, I will tell you.
“Something just kind of grabs me with her. I don’t know if it’s her style or her attitude or just the way she goes about her business. I have not seen enough of her yet. But there is something, and I’m going to say this, tennis needs somebody like that, who draws you in and makes you want to watch no matter what.
“You might be getting your a— kicked, but I am still watching just in case something happens.”
Connors may not have to wait long to see Anisimova return to action, as she is currently scheduled to compete at the Washington Open WTA 500 event, which begins on Monday, July 21.
Who else is competing at the Washington Open?
As players begin their US Open preparations, several top-ten stars head to DC for the Washington Open.
Anisimova will be seeded third at the event, behind Jessica Pegula and Qinwen Zheng.
[1] – Jessica Pegula[2] – Qinwen Zheng[3] – Amanda Anisimova[4] – Paula Badosa[5] – Emma Navarro[6] – Elena Rybakina[7] – Ekaterina Alexandrova[8] – Clara Tauson
Wildcards have also been awarded to two former Grand Slam winners, Naomi Osaka and Venus Williams.
The world number seven made her Washington Open debut in 2024, when she advanced to the main draw via qualifying.
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Anisimova proceeded to pick up two big wins en route to the quarterfinals, as she demonstrated to the fans in Washington what she had to offer.
RoundOpponentResultScoreQFCaroline DolehideLoss6-7, 1-62RAnastasia PavlyuchenkovaWin6-1, 6-7, 6-41RSloane StephensWin6-3, 7-5Q2Renata ZarazuaWin6-4, 6-4Q1Emina BektasWin7-6, 6-3Amanda Anisimova at the 2024 Washington Open
She’ll certainly be hoping for more of the same this time around, as she looks to bounce back from one of the toughest losses of her tennis career.
The draw for the 2025 Washington Open will take place later this week.