US OPEN

September 3, 2025

Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/I. Swiatek

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Tremendous match. Questions, please.

Q. I know the goal is certainly to treat every match like it's the same, but given the occasion and the opponent, I'm curious how easy or difficult it was to do that and just how it felt out there for you on the court.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I mean, today was definitely different than any other match here or that I've played ever because of the circumstances. But, yeah, I think that I was really trying to go in with the right mindset, especially the last 24 hours really preparing myself more mentally than physically for today.

Yeah, I'm really pleased with the way I was able to go into it and perform.

Q. The 12th of July you were sobbing your heart out. How have you turned it all around to have smiles like today for what you have achieved?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Well, honestly, it was just (laughing) -- it was just, like, on the court that I was really crying that much. Maybe, like, 30 minutes afterwards, but then I got on the phone with someone, and I kind of just, like, laughed it off. I was, like, yeah, this is insane.

I don't know. I feel like I was really able to bounce back from it really quickly. Maybe a few years ago I wouldn't have done the same as well as I have this time, but yeah, it's definitely nothing I've ever experienced before. I never lost 6-0, 6-0, and then to lose 6-0 in a Grand Slam final was a lot to experience.

Today I'm just really, really proud of myself. 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. I feel like I was really able to do all the right things, so I'm really happy.

Q. You talked also before the tournament that the mental part was something that you really took from Wimbledon and kind of battling the nerves and just preparing yourself. How has that changed for you, I guess? How do you take that experience and apply it differently when you are mentally getting ready for a match now?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I think what I learned then and also throughout this tournament, I feel like with each match that I've played I tell myself to really not go into the match with fear.

I think when I started the tournament, I was kind of going into the matches with a little bit of fear and maybe holding back a bit. As I've been progressing and playing more and more, I told myself, like, you can't go into the match with any fear, especially if I'm playing against top players. It's just not a negotiable for me, because if I want to win the match, I'm going to have to play really brave and strong tennis.

Yeah, today I really came out there with, like, not an ounce of fear. You know if you were watching the match, I was trying to really have a lot of positive reinforcement and try to stay moving all the time, which is not actually something I do a lot (laughing). But, yeah, I was constantly moving and trying to get myself going.

Q. Can you just sort of take us through your day today, Amanda, as you prepared for this all-important match? Or maybe it was more important to us than it was to you.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: No, it was very important to me. Well, I had to wake up at 7:00 a.m., which was different from my other days. I'm really not a morning person. Like, I love sleeping in and just kind of laying in bed (laughing). Today it was a bit tough to wake up that early.

Yeah, I mean, I got out at the courts quite early. I was warming up. Then, yeah, there was a long match before me. I mean, Felix and Alex. So I actually watched the whole match, because just in the locker room.

Yeah, it was an incredible performance from both players. I was actually sad someone had to lose that match. I was watching it, and it was really great to watch.

Yeah, apart from that, it's not really anything crazy. I mean, I just tried to go about my things very normally and one thing at a time. I was, like, warming up in the gym, and then they're, like, playing the Wimbledon final on both sides of the TV, and I'm just, like, zoned in.

I'm, like, okay, I know there was a lot of external stuff going on, and I could only imagine what everyone had been saying. I truly just tried to really block all of the external stuff out. I also have a lot of mindfulness tactics that I try and practice, so I was really zoning in on that today.

Q. You mentioned before that maybe a few years ago you wouldn't have handled it the same. I just wonder how important do you think having the break from tennis was and kind of seeing another side of life and a different perspective in terms of how you then handled the Wimbledon final?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I mean, losing like that in a Grand Slam final, I think I would have maybe blamed myself more or held on to guilt for a longer amount of time.

Truly, like, the most that I felt bad was for the people that had come to watch that day. I mean, I know it was really, really quick. That was kind of, like, at the top of my mind in a way just because I know how much people pay for those tickets and are excited to see Wimbledon. I kind of had that guilt on my back, as opposed to winning my first Grand Slam final. I was thinking about that more.

But at the end of the day, to me it was just tennis. I mean, I'm living out my dreams, and I'm in a really good place in my life. I'm happy every single day, which I really wasn't a couple of years ago.

I was going through a lot, and every single day was kind of a shitty day for me. Looking back at that, it's not the most important thing to me. It's what happened that day, and really it's just a tennis match at the end of the day, so I kind of just look at it like that.

Yeah, I can give myself more chances and more opportunities if I work for them, so it's just kind of the mindset I had.

Q. When you talk about working through what happened at Wimbledon, what did that involve? Did it involve kind of confronting it and watching it back, or was it kind of the opposite of that, like, moving on from it and blocking it out, or maybe somewhere in between?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: At the time a few weeks ago I just kind of forgot about it and moved on. Really didn't dissect anything about it.

But last night (laughing) -- nobody told me to, but I watched them back, as painful as it was, just to see, like, what I can avoid or what went wrong. Then after I had to watch some good highlights to, like, remove that from my brain.

Yeah, I think it was important for me to kind of see what happened last night going into today's match, but back then it was just kind of, like, move on. It's just kind of a freak thing that happened.

I have family and friends. I still have the hard court swing to go. So it was kind of, like, just move on to the next.

Q. What did you see last night that you took into today?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: From that match?

Q. Yeah.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: That I was slow as hell (laughing). My reactions were just -- I was so slow, but I mean, it happens. I'm a human, and some people just freeze sometimes. I was also exhausted. I was really fatigued into those last days of the tournament, and that's definitely something I'm working on is being more physically fit to last two weeks in a Grand Slam.

It's not just the matches we play. There's a lot of stress associated with these matches and the anticipation. So it was just a combination of things. I think as I gain more experience, then I'm going to get better and better at it, but I feel like every day I'm trying to improve, and I'm trying to learn more.

Q. Can you compare how you felt after reaching the semis at Wimbledon to how you're feeling now? Does this feel like more natural, like this is where you're supposed to be at this stage in a major?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: It still feels a bit surreal, for sure. It's the farthest I've gone by far at the US Open, and it's extremely special. Today is definitely the most meaningful victory I've had in my life.

Yeah, I mean, I have that belief in myself and that confidence that I'm able to play at the top level, and I'm able to really go head-to-head with these top three and everyone who is in the top 10. I've shown that, and I think I was able to prove that to myself time and time again for a long time now.

Yeah, it's really competitive these days, and also the Grand Slams are really tough. So I'm just really pleased to make it this far for the first time.

Q. Just wanted to ask, well, two things: What did it feel like when you got that first game? You shouted, "Yes," when you got to 1-All in the first. How big was that to get the zero off the board early on? Second, can you just look ahead to your two possible next opponents in Osaka and Muchova.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, yeah, for sure. When I wasn't able to hold in that first game, I was really, like, okay, here we go (laughing). That was a little stressful, but yeah, winning that first game kind of took some stress off my shoulders, for sure.

Then, you know, once I got that game, I think I was really easing into the match. I wasn't really worried about it. I knew that I'm going to be playing some good tennis. I've been playing great all week. So I was just trying to tell myself to treat it like a match I've never played before, kind of go into it with a fresh mindset.

But, yeah, I think the beginning was pretty stressful, but once I got myself going, I was getting more and more comfortable and obviously more confident and able to put what happened in the past really in the past.

Then, yeah, Naomi and Karo are playing some amazing tennis. I've been watching some of their matches this week. Yeah, both incredibly tough opponents. I think it's going to be a really tough one tonight. Yeah, maybe I'll be watching a little bit, but I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Yesterday Carlos spoke about the importance of positive body language, and I just wondered for you how important it was to kind of stay positive and show that, especially after the first game, like you said, to not win it, to kind of remind yourself and your opponent that you weren't scared or you didn't think it was going to get away from you again?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, for sure. I think that was the most important part of today is really lifting myself up and trying to pump myself up with, like, positive affirmations, like I said.

I think that was something I was really lacking in the Wimbledon final. I wasn't really showing much, or my attitude and my presence wasn't really there. So I think that's also something that I learned that I need to do better of.

Yeah, I felt really good out there. I feel like I was really supporting myself, which in turn, also helped me play better.

Q. You mentioned the two possible opponents, but since we won't have an opportunity to speak with you again before, if you wouldn't mind taking each one individually, starting with Naomi. What are your thoughts about what makes her such a challenging opponent, and you haven't played each other in a while?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, well, she's won four Grand Slams. She obviously knows the game very well and is very successful. She's a really strong hitter.

I mean, she plays really well on the hard courts. We know that. 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.

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.

Q. And Muchova, what do you consider her biggest strengths?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, her movement, a lot of her tricky shots. I mean, I love watching her play. She's really crafty and a really tough player. We've only played once, I think, and it was a really fun match. I really enjoyed playing against her, and I love watching players who play that sort of tennis.

Yeah, I'm just really happy to see her doing well. She's had a lot of injuries, so to see her healthy and having fun out there is really special.