Amanda Anisimova is making it big at Wimbledon! After battling through a titanic last-16 match against the hard-hitting Linda Noskova, the American youngster is now playing her second quarter-final at the Championships. Amanda finally breaks through into her first semifinals at the tournament! With fellow Americans Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys all ousted early, this 23-year-old showed true grit and spirit to clinch her win!

Anisimova wasted no time making her mark in Tuesday’s quarterfinal, breaking Pavlyuchenkova’s serve in just three minutes with a blistering forehand. That early spark set the tone, as Anisimova stormed through six of the first seven games in under half an hour. She’s now a perfect 28-0 this year when she wins the opening set.

The American finished the match with 26 winners—17 more than Pavlyuchenkova—and extended her head-to-head dominance to 4-0. With an 11-2 record on grass this season, she’s hitting new career highs. After reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022 and missing the main draw last year, she returns in 2025 at a career-best No. 12 in the world.

Her grass-court form has been red-hot. The 23-year-old was a finalist at Queen’s, falling to Tatjana Maria’s crafty slices, and then made the quarters in Berlin before losing to Liudmila Samsonova. That momentum carried into Wimbledon, where she’s looked more confident than ever.

Amanda Anisimova isn’t new to the spotlight. She made waves back in 2019 at Roland Garros, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to break into the quarterfinals. Her dream run ended in the semis at the hands of Ashleigh Barty, but Anisimova had well and truly arrived.

By 2022, life had flipped the script with the heartbreaking loss of her father. And as Jim Courier aptly puts it, the “scar” may still linger in her mind—even as she plays some of her finest tennis yet on the lawns of SW19.

Ex pro opens up about Amanda Anisimova’s hardships

On July 6, Tennis Channel’s YouTube viewers got a real look at Amanda’s journey, thanks to Jim Courier. The ex-pro got candid, saying the scar “might still be lingering inside Anisimova’s mind despite playing some of the best tennis of her career at SW19.”

He reflected, “She burst on the scene as a semi-finalist at Roland Garros, right? Young woman playing the sport, and then life intervenes. She had some real stuff…Her father passed away, took some time away to regroup, and now she’s on the verge of making another semi-final here against Pavlyuchenkova.” Courier even tipped Amanda to beat the Russian in their Wimbledon quarterfinal.

He didn’t stop there. “You can just see it means more now than it did then. She was innocent when she first burst on. She’s had the real world come up and give her, you know, a real dose. So, it’s going to be deeper in meaning for her,” Courier said, explaining why this Wimbledon run feels extra special. He noted that pain and loss can push players to greatness, but it’s never easy.

Courier pointed to Amanda’s tears after beating Linda Noskova (6-2, 7-5, 6-4) in the Round of 16. “Sometimes it’s harder when it means more like this to overcome that scar tissue that you’re carrying. So, that’s why I think why she was crying after the win. That’s a massive moment for her,” he said.

It’s clear why Courier thinks Amanda Anisimova’s got a lot on her mind, even as she’s making headlines at Wimbledon. She’s said herself that overcoming those demons takes real work. With her recent form, could she shock World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka on July 10? Drop your thoughts in the comments and stay updated with all the Wimbledon action on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.