THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2025

Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/D. Galfi

6-3, 5-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I wonder, with a lot of top seeds falling in the first four days and the pressure of being seeded yourself, I wonder, how does it affect you when you go on court, when you look ahead on your draw because some players spoke about maybe a scary effect of seeing everybody else fall?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I keep getting asked that as well. Yeah, I feel like maybe I feel a little bit of pressure because obviously you feel like the opportunity is there.

At the end of the day I keep reminding myself to just focus on the present, just take it one match at a time. This morning I was just telling myself that and, yeah, to just enjoy the moment, trust my game. I try and focus on what I can control and just zoom out of everything else.

Q. Your serve was interrupted by a bit of an inopportune champagne cork pop, which feels very Wimbledon. How do you feel playing in that kind of atmosphere, and how do you kind of tune out the noise in those moments?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I mean, it kept happening (smiling). At some point I was, like, Can everybody just do it on the changeover?

Yeah, it was a bit rowdy on that court, too, because you could hear everyone on the sides that are, like, outside of the court. It was definitely a bit distracting.

Yeah, then again, I have to just adjust, try and focus as much as I can. But, yeah, it can be a little loud when people are doing their external things, but I love the atmosphere and the energy and the crowd supporting me, so it's been good.

Q. You've done extremely well on grass despite a quick turnaround after the clay season. You have to be one of the rare players that don't seem to have a single issue going from the clay to grass. Do you have an explanation for that? Do you think it's just natural with your game?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I mean, I only had two or three days to train before I started Queen's. I was going in with no expectations really. Try and get used to the surface. Yeah, I felt like my game was really clicking that week, and I felt really good on the grass.

Yeah, I was trying to bring some of that energy into here. So far I feel like my grass season has been off to a really good start, but also, at the same time, it's not a very long season.

Q. Earlier in the week Iga Swiatek confessed that she had pilfered about half a dozen Wimbledon towels, and I couldn't help but notice that after your game, you managed to come off the court with a couple of your own. I know it's a Wimbledon tradition, but I wonder if you could say what is it you like about the towels, and what are your plans to do with them?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I gave two away, though, after my match.

Q. Who did you give them to?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Just the fans on the side (smiling). Yeah, we always -- at least I personally just use the towels when I train at home. I live in Miami, so I use them a lot. I sweat a lot when I'm training down there.

I mean, that's the main reason why I use them. Then obviously I gift them to my family and friends when I come back.

Q. Has an ambition of winning a Grand Slam title changed from the start of your career to now? Was it more of an obsession or something present for you at the start and that it may be less now, or have you just learned to detach yourself from setting such high goals?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Sorry. I don't understand your question.

Q. I'm sure that when you started your career, it was one of the goals was to win one of the majors, be World No. 1. Often when you are so good that young, that's part of the goals. I'm wondering if the ambition through the years changed a little bit or if you just learned to detach yourself from setting them too high?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I think that those goals are still very much there. Of course, that's always the goal of a professional tennis player, and it's still something that I'm really chasing.

I think now, more than ever actually, that's become my biggest motivation, and I've been really working hard and striving towards that.

Q. How is it different training and preparing yourself to move on clay compared with training and preparing yourself to move and being in shape to play on the grass?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I feel like just the movement patterns are different. I mean, you're not sliding on the grass obviously, and you're staying lower. Just a bunch of different technicalities that you have to change when you start playing on the grass.

For me, I'm like I'm comfortable on both. It's just a matter of adjusting and doing different, like, fitness specifics.

Q. There's sort of a cult of people worshipping your backhand among tennis fans. I'm curious if you are as proud of it as their sort of legions of admirers would make it seem? Have you seen this on social media?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, of course, I've heard a lot of people tell me that, like, they really like my backhand or it's one of the best shots.

I feel like it was working really well for me the other day. I hit some good backhand down the lines. Today I think I was struggling with it a little bit. Yeah, I mean, I think it's one of my best shots, but I'm still also trying to improve other aspects of my game, like my serve. I feel like my forehand has improved a lot, as well.

Q. Obviously you're making a great run here. I have a question off topic. One thing people like so much about you is that you have tried to achieve balance in your life at this point, and one of the things you have in your life is art. Some of your paintings are light pastels, I would say, and some are quite dark. You said that you were into Van Gogh. Could you just talk about art and all things art, and just talk about that?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah. I mean, I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health, and it was something that I did in my free time just to get my mind off of things. Once I was done with my training day or had a day off, it's something I would do.

I think before that I didn't have any hobbies or interests other than just, like, hanging out with my friends and family, so I wanted to find something that I enjoyed doing on my own.

Yeah, I feel like it's just a very good get-away for myself. Yeah, I enjoy going to museums, as well, especially in different cities, specifically in Europe.

Q. Favorite museum or two?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: The d'Orsay Museum in Paris. I really like that one.

Q. Just to follow up on that, do you bring stuff here? Do you have things to be able to do art while you're -- work on your stuff or even just as a break during a tournament like this?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: No, unfortunately not. I have to bring so many tennis things, and I like to bring a lot of clothes just in case, so my suitcases are really full.

I spend, like, thousands of dollars on extra weight (laughing), and I don't have any more shoulders to carry for the art supplies. Yeah, for sure when I'm back and I get stints of a break, then I'll come back to it. But, yeah, I haven't really figured out that part yet.

Q. Were you always comfortable with the movement on grass, or is it something that was a learning experience and a growth experience?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I mean, I didn't grow up playing on grass. I think my first match on grass was when I was 15 years old, and I played the juniors here for the first time. I got to the quarters, which wasn't bad.

But, yeah, I feel like once I stepped onto the grass, I was pretty comfortable from the get-go. It wasn't something that I really struggled with, but so far I really haven't had all that much experience when I compare to how much I've played on the hard and clay.

So, you know, there's still a lot of room for improvement, for sure.

Q. Regarding luggage, have you ever had bad situations where you lost your luggage and you had to buy new clothes?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Don't jinx me, please (laughing). There was one time, but it actually wasn't even lost. It was stolen, yeah. That wasn't great, because I was also going to Australia.

But so far I've been pretty lucky on that part, but yeah, that is definitely a fear of mine. Yeah, I guess it would call for a shopping day, which also isn't bad.

Q. How did it get stolen?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: It was L.A., tons of people. So, yeah, wasn't great.

Q. Like suitcase or just a bag?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: It was my suitcase. The other day I saw this meme. It was like, There are so many security checkpoints when you are going on your flight, but when you get to baggage claim, it's like take whatever bag you want.