American tennis player Amanda Anisimova apologized to the Wimbledon crowd after suffering a tough 6-0, 6-0 defeat in the final against Iga Sfjontek, but despite her emotions, she managed to thank those who helped her reach her first Grand Slam final.
The 23-year-old tennis player specifically singled out her mother, who rarely gets the chance to watch her live, as the most important figure in her life.
"My mom is the most selfless person I know and she did everything to get me to this point," said Anisimova, who lost her father in 2019 when she was just 17 years old.
Addressing her mother directly, she added through tears:
"Thank you for coming and breaking the superstition that you shouldn't fly to see me. And that's not the reason I lost today," she said with a laugh, with a self-deprecating remark about the quick defeat.
"I'm so happy to be able to share this moment with you. I know you rarely see me in person because you do so much for my sister and me. I love you so much," Anisimova concluded emotionally.
Despite the defeat, Anisimova achieved a huge success, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals and advancing to her first Grand Slam final.
Born in New Jersey, raised in Florida, Anisimova was the 2017 US Open junior champion and reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros in 2019.
She took a break in May 2023 due to mental health issues, and returned to the court in early 2024. Just a year earlier, she was ranked 189th on the WTA rankings and failed to qualify for Wimbledon. Now, after the final, she will enter the top ten of the world's tennis players.
"I know I wasn't good today, but I will keep working. I believe in myself and I hope to be back here one day," Anisimova said, thanking her team for supporting her during "this whole difficult journey."
Tournament winner Iga Sfjontek told her after the match:
"Regardless of today's result, you should be proud of what you've achieved."
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