This story is from July 11, 2025

'She kind of pissed me off': Aryna Sabalenka hits out at Amanda Anisimova's behaviour in Wimbledon semi-final loss

'She kind of pissed me off': Aryna Sabalenka hits out at Amanda Anisimova's behaviour in Wimbledon semi-final loss
Aryna Sabalenka bowed out in three sets against Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi-final at Wimbledon. (AP)
World number one Aryna Sabalenka lost her Wimbledon semi-final match against 13th seed Amanda Anisimova in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, at Centre Court on Thursday. Following the match, Sabalenka expressed frustration over Anisimova's on-court behaviour during their encounter in London.The Belarusian top seed's hopes of reaching her first All England Club final were dashed as she struggled with an erratic performance in the intense heat.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sabalenka, who had featured in the previous three Grand Slam finals, took issue with two specific incidents during the match. She was particularly annoyed when Anisimova celebrated a point prematurely and defended her actions."I was just trying to chase the ball. She was already celebrating it. I mean, that's a bit too early. Then she kind of pissed me off saying oh, that's what she does all the time," Sabalenka said.The three-time Grand Slam champion claimed this incident motivated her second-set comeback. "I was grateful that she actually said that because it actually helped me to keep fighting. I'm like, 'OK, now I'm going to show you the tennis,'" she said.