It’s been quite the journey for US tennis star Amanda Anisimova the past few years. After excelling in 2022, the now 23-year-old took an extended mental-health break from tennis the following year. She returned to action in 2024 and showed early promise before failing to advance past the qualifying round at Wimbledon.
A year later, she finds herself in the Wimbledon final.
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Anisimova’s road to the final hasn’t come easily. She’s been pushed to a third set three separate times during her run, including once vs. world’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, whom Anisimova upset Thursday in one of the best matches of the tournament.
While American women have experienced recent success at Grand Slams, Wimbledon has proven to be elusive. If Anisimova can pull out a victory against Iga Świątek on Saturday, Anisimova would be the first American woman since 2016 to win the event.
Here’s everything you need to know as Anisimova attempts to join an elite group in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
If Anisimova can win Saturday, she would become the first American woman since Serena Williams to win at Wimbledon. Williams’ most recent victory at the event came in 2016, when she defeated Angelique Kerber in the final.
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It marked the second-straight year in which Williams won Wimbledon. She also reached the final in 2015, when she took down Garbiñe Muguruza to win it all.
During her career, Williams won Wimbledon an incredible seven times. She reached the final at the event four other times over her career, but failed to win in those appearances.
Williams last appeared in the Wimbledon final in 2019, where she lost to Simona Halep. Prior to Anisimova’s victory Thursday, no American woman had played in the Wimbledon final since 2019.
Despite that, American women have experienced plenty of success in Grand Slams lately. Anisimova’s win on Thursday marked the fourth consecutive Grand Slam final that will feature an American woman. Coco Gauff won the 2025 French Open in June, Madison Keys won the 2025 Australian Open in January and Jessica Pegula reached the final at the 2024 U.S. Open.
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The last time an American woman appeared in the final at four straight Grand Slams happened a decade ago, when Williams accomplished the feat by herself.
A total of 18 American women have won the Wimbledon final since the tournament started in 1905.
Player
Year(s) won
Number of Wimbledon titles
May Sutton
1905, 1907
2
Helen Wills/Helen Moody
1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938
8
Helen Jacobs
1936
1
Alice Marble
1939
1
Pauline Betz
1946
1
Margaret Osborne
1947
1
Louise Brough
1948, 1949, 1950, 1955
4
Doris Hart
1951
1
Maureen Connolly
1952, 1953, 1954
3
Shirley Fry
1956
1
Althea Gibson
1957, 1958
2
Karen Susman
1962
1
Billie Jean King
1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975,
6
Chris Evert
1974, 1976, 1981
3
Martina Navratilova
1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990
9
Lindsay Davenport
1999
1
Venus Williams
2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008
5
Serena Williams
2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016
7
Of that group, Martina Navratilova, who was born in Czechoslovakia but became a U.S. citizen in 1981, owns the most Wimbledon titles by an American woman with nine.
Iga Świątek is looking for her first Wimbledon title Saturday. (Photo by Li Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images)
(Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)
Despite both women being extremely well-accomplished over their careers, Anisimova and Świątek have never played against each other in a singles match. Saturday will mark the first time the two will square off.
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Świątek is the far more accomplished player. She’s won 22 singles titles over her career and is the former world’s No. 1. She’s won five Grand Slams over her career — four at the French Open and one at the U.S. Open. Despite all her success, Świątek has never won Wimbledon. Up until 2025, the farthest she’s advanced in the tournament was the quarterfinal.
Anisimova has three singles titles under her belt so far. She’s never been ranked in the single digits, though her current No. 12 ranking represents a career-best, so there’s an argument that she’s playing her best tennis right now. Anisimova has yet to win a Grand Slam during her career. Prior to 2025, the farthest Anisimova has advanced during a Grand Slam came back in 2019, when she reached the semifinal at the French Open.
There will be plenty on the line when Anisimova and Świątek square off Saturday. In addition to etching their name in the history books with a Grand Slam championship, the winner of Wimbledon will take home roughly $4.1 million. The runner-up won’t be too disappointed, though, as they’ll make a little over $2 million.
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The total amount of money awarded at the event in 2025 will be roughly $72,296,957.
The ladies’ final at Wimbledon will take place Saturday, July 12 at 11 a.m. ET. Coverage of the match will be available on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+. An encore presentation of the match will take place at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
