Wimbledon 2025: Anisimova & Fritz reach singles SFs, face Sabalenka & Alcaraz next
Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz broke new ground Tuesday at Wimbledon by reaching their first singles semifinals at the All England Club—with Ben Shelton hoping to join his compatriots in the last four when he plays Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Both Anisimova (2022) and Fritz (2022, 2024) previously reached the Wimbledon quarters; it is a second Grand Slam semifinal for both after Anisimova progressed to that stage at Roland Garros in 2019 and Fritz advanced to the US Open final last summer. The Americans will have their hands full in the semis, with Anisimova taking on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Fritz meeting two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Anisimova's dramatic QF finish
After consecutive three-set wins, Anisimova was on the brink of a routine quarterfinal win as she built a 6-1, 5-2 lead against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. But after missing out on two match points at 5-4, the American had to save four set points in a dramatic second-set tiebreak to seal a 6-1, 7-6(9) victory.
"It was such a battle today," said Anisimova, who brought her 4-year-old nephew Jackson onto No. 1 Court for her post-match interview. "I was up in the second set and she started playing some unreal tennis. I just kept fighting and that tiebreak was super stressful, but I'm just so happy I got it done. I'm happy to be in the semifinals for the first time, it's super special."
Anisimova owns a 5-3 head-to-head advantage against Sabalenka. The semifinal opponents will both be playing for a place in their first Wimbledon final when they square off on Thursday.
Two years after taking the bulk of the 2023 season off for a mental health break from tennis, Anisimova is set to break into the WTA's Top 10 behind her Wimbledon run. Now 23, she is enjoying her success with a fresh perspective.
"It has been an extraordinary year for me with so many highs," she said. "I am enjoying every step of the way and even in times like today, I keep reminding myself to enjoy the moment. It is not often you get to play on this special court in front of so many people."
Fritz narrowly avoids another fifth set
Before Anisimova's match, Fritz also came out firing in his quarterfinal on No. 1 Court. The fifth seed eased to a two-set lead without facing a break point against Karen Khachanov, but quickly found himself down a break in the fourth set as the match flipped on its head.
Showing veteran poise in his sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal, the 27-year-old Fritz steadied to close out a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) victory.
“It’s an amazing feeling," said Fritz in his on-court interview. "Obviously having played the quarterfinals here twice and lost in five [sets] twice, I don’t think I could have taken another one. So I’m really happy I’m going to get to play the semis here.”
Fritz fell to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 quarterfinals and Lorenzo Musetti last year, both in deciding sets, but narrowly avoided what would have been his third five-setter of this fortnight with a steely finish against Khachanov.
“I’m feeling great to get through it,” added Fritz. “I feel like the match was going so well for me for two sets. I’ve never had a match really just flip so quickly, so I’m really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. I think the momentum was definitely not going to have been on my side going into a fifth."
In the semis, Fritz will seek his first win in three matches against Alcaraz, who beat him in straight sets in Miami in 2023 and last year at the Laver Cup.
While Alcaraz enters on a 19-match winning streak, having won the Roland Garros and Queen's Club titles, Fritz is on a nine-match winning streak of his own dating back to the start of his Eastbourne title run. He has won 13 of his 14 matches this grass-court season, including a trophy run in Hamburg.
For more from London, including complete draws and schedules, visit Wimbledon's official website.
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