Amanda Anisimova Gives Honest Verdict on Naomi Osaka Before High-Stake US Open Showdown

Redemption must have been the first word you thought of after witnessing what Amanda Anisimova did at the Arthur Ashe on Wednesday night. That 6-0, 6-0 thrashing in Wimbledon final was left behind by the American as she showed her true fighting spirit without “an ounce of fear”. Against a hard hitting and aggressive opponent like Iga Swiatek – who humbled her 53 days ago on grass – the 24-year-old gave it back this time and how. In an hour and 36 minutes, Anisimova forced the Pole to pack her bags after a straight-set triumph. But the journey has just begun as she is set for another tough battle at the US Open. Her semifinal opponent, Naomi Osaka, is someone who has made her own redemption story in New York. Anisimova is well aware of the four-time slam queen’s might.

Prior to their rematch, many believed Swiatek’s current form would overshadow Anisimova once again. After all, the six-time slam winner was coming off her title win in Cincinnati. However, Anisimova proved everyone wrong becoming a beacon of hope for home fans. She and Jessica Pegula are the only two remaining American players in the ongoing edition of the hard-court slam. With a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Swiatek, Anisimova took her revenge of the Wimbledon final loss while also confirming her maiden semifinal appearance at the US Open.

However, she knows that the next challenge against Osaka won’t be easy at all. During the press conference, Anisimova made it evident. “Yeah, she’s won four Grand Slams. She obviously knows the game very well and is very successful. And she’s a really strong hitter, she plays really well on the hard court. We know that.”

The 24-year-old added, “I feel like she’s really found her groove. She’s put in a lot of work this past year. I’ve observed it and I’ve seen it. And yeah, I feel like she’s really found her momentum here. She looks like she’s enjoying it out there. So yeah, obviously she’s always been a top player and one of the best.”

Just like Anisimova has made a return to form after a heavy loss at Wimbledon and early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati, Osaka has come a long way too. After her return to professional tennis since giving birth to her daughter Shai, she’s struggled with her performance throughout this season. Apart from regular events, she failed to create an impact even in the slams. In Melbourne, she was ousted in the third round following an abdominal injury, then lost to Paula Badosa in the first round of the French Open. At Wimbledon, she couldn’t move past the third round after her defeat against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

In New York, however, the Japanese star has proved her mettle in style with a dominating campaign. After besting World No.3 and two-time slam winner Coco Gauff in the fourth round, she beat Karolina Muchova in the QF battle on Wednesday to enter the semis. Let’s not forget the summit clash between Osaka and Mboko at the Canadian Open.

While Anisimova is wary of Osaka’s potential, she is confident on her own morale-boosting momentum. After besting Swiatek, she has regained her lost spirits for sure.

Amanda Anisimova shares her feelings after taking revenge on Swiatek

Amanda Anisimova’s response to facing Swiatek again was short and sweet. Following her fourth-round win, she simply said, “I’m really excited and looking forward to it,” as reported on the US Open’s website on September 3.

After she succeeded in conquering the Wimbledon champion, Anisimova exuded positivity through and through. “Today I really came out there with, like, not an ounce of fear,” she said during the post-match interview.

She added, “I feel like I really made a point to myself and also maybe to other people that, like, if you really put a positive mindset out there or, I don’t know, just try and work through things, then, you know, you can have a positive outcome.”

With her win at Flushing Meadows, the American has leveled the H2H tally 1-1 against Swiatek. Next up, she would like to carry the momentum forward against Osaka as well. Interestingly, she’s got an edge over the Japanese star already. Anisimova leads the H2H tally 2-0 against the four-time major winner. Will she pull off a hat-trick against her in the semifinal? Only time will tell.

Keep yourself up to date on our live US Open blog without missing a beat.