Anisimova Keeps Making Strides, Upsets Sabalenka…

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American Amanda Anisimova recorded her fifth win in seven meetings against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday afternoon at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, knocking out the No. 2 seed, 6-4, 6-2, to reach her first WTA semifinal in more than two years.

Anisimova — who had lost her last two meetings with Sabalenka, including earlier this year at the Australian Open on Sabalenka’s road to her second Grand Slam crown — knew she would have to get off to a quick start against the World No. 3, one of the best frontrunners in the game.

The American defended her serve well, saving all five break points in the opening set, and never shied away from going toe-to-toe with Sabalenka from the back of the court. Anisimova took advantage of an uncharacteristically loose game from Sabalenka right at the end — who was growing increasingly frustrated with her inability to hit through her opponent and her tendency to make errors on big points — to move a set to the good.

Although she went down an early break in the second, Anisimova used her flat, piercing groundstrokes to force more errors out of Sabalenka, and the 22-year-old reeled off five games in a row to secure her place in her first WTA 1000 semifinal.

“It was really windy today, so I think it took some time for me to get used to that out there,” Anisimova told reporters during her post-match press conference. “I was just trying to play smart and try to make as little mistakes as possible. Then in the second set I think I really stepped it up, and overall I'm happy with how I played today.”

Sabalenka has historically been a good match-up for Anisimova, who relishes the opportunity to duel with the best. “I just try to stick to my game, play very aggressive,” Anisimova said of her approach to playing the former World No. 1. “It's always a pretty tough matchup, always ends up being a very good match between us. I'm really happy with today and my performance. If I'm not a hundred per cent there, it's not likely to win against a player like that.”

A former French Open semifinalist, Anisimova has been steadily working her way back to the top of women’s tennis after taking a burnout-induced break from the professional tour last year to address her mental and physical health. She began her season outside the world’s Top 400, and while she has earned victories over quality opponents — including Paula Badosa, Liudmila Samsonova, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova — injuries have derailed her progress.

But after winning eight of her first nine matches on the North American hardcourts, Anisimova is projected to jump back into the Top 70 — and could even return to the Top 40 with a title this week.

“I think that after the break I felt very refreshed and just had a different kind of head space, more clarity. I just was very burnt out before I took the break, so coming back, I was enjoying it a lot more. I think that I just gained a different perspective when it comes to traveling and the training process,” explained the former World No. 21. “I'm really happy to be back, and I think taking the break really just helped me, because I honestly never took a break that was longer than two weeks in my life, so I think I just needed that as a human being to just rest for once and just let my body recover.”

Anisimova told the media that she has drawn inspiration from four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who famously took a break from tennis to address her own mental health and has since become a key advocate on the subject within the sport.

“I'm super happy to see her back, and it seems like she's doing really, really well. Also, she had a baby, so I'm just so happy to see her accomplish all of that and also come back to the tour, especially at the level that she's playing at, it's honestly very inspiring and just amazing, as well as all the conversations that she starts and opens up,” Anisimova said. “I think that we're all very happy to have her in the WTA, and she's a huge part of tennis, and just being able to be so honest and vulnerable as she is, it's definitely something very special, and I really look up to her on that.”

Having accomplished so much already in her young career, Anisimova may be happy to be back, but she is still setting ambitious goals for herself.

“A small one for this year was to break into the Top 100, and I've already done that, so I'm really happy about that,” she said. “[These are] just small steps in the right direction to hopefully achieve the things that I want to be able to achieve, like winning a Grand Slam and becoming No. 1 one day.”

Anisimova is one of five Americans to reach the quarter-finals and one of three to reach the semifinals this week in Toronto. After two decades of having Serena and Venus Williams at the top of the sport, the next generation of American women have risen to the occasion in their absence — something that makes Anisimova “really proud,” even if it makes her job all the more difficult.

“I was saying that yesterday, that it's kind of annoying sometimes, because I really wanted to play the Olympics this year,” Anisimova said with a wry smile. “But at the end of the day, I'm really happy for all of them, and they're doing amazing, but it does make it very competitive and tough in that aspect.”

Anisimova will now square off against her compatriot, No. 8 seed Emma Navarro, for a coveted spot in Monday night’s final. Anisimova won the pair’s only previous meeting two years ago in Indian Wells in straight sets, but she is quick to note that Navarro is a very different — and much improved — player now than when they last played.

“She's a player who is definitely on fire right now; she's playing some great tennis. I'm sure it will be a tough match tomorrow,” Anisimova said of Navarro, who defeated another American, Taylor Townsend, in straight sets earlier in the day. “I'm going to talk a little bit with my coach about it, because it's been a while since I've played her. I'm going to stick to the basics that I've been doing, and [I’m] just focusing on myself.”

The WTA's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open August 4 to 12, 2024 at Sobeys Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo: Peter Power