NEW YORK — Amanda Anisimova upset Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open quarterfinals Wednesday, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score.
The No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.
“To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me,” said Anisimova, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. “I feel like I worked so hard to try and turn around from that. … Today is really special.”
The powerful strokes and poise she displayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 2 Swiatek — the 2022 US Open champion — were such a striking contrast to what happened at the All England Club’s Centre Court on July 12.
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That title match lasted just 57 minutes, and Anisimova only managed to win 24 points that day, a total she eclipsed about midway through the first set this time.
“Everybody knows how Amanda can play. Yeah, she didn’t play well in Wimbledon,” said Swiatek, a 24-year-old from Poland, “but it’s not like she’s always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same.”
Anisimova cried during her runner-up speech during the trophy ceremony at Wimbledon; on Wednesday, she was all smiles while addressing thousands of supportive spectators who kept interrupting her on-court interview with cheers.
“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova told them, “and I’ve been having the run of my life here.”
On Thursday, Anisimova will try to reach a second consecutive major final. She’ll face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka — who eliminated Coco Gauff on Monday — or Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.
After one game against Swiatek in the quarterfinals Wednesday, Anisimova might have been forgiven for thinking, “Oh, no. Not this again.”
That’s because Anisimova served first and got broken immediately when she lost three points in a row by missing forehands — one into the net, one wide, one long.
But Anisimova broke right back and soon was the one dictating points with her strong, flat groundstrokes that wound up contributing to 23 total winners, 10 more than Swiatek accumulated. Anisimova also played quite cleanly, making just 12 unforced errors.
“She moved better, she played better,” Swiatek said, comparing this match to the one at Wimbledon. “Everything was different.”
Swiatek’s serve was problematic: She only put in 50% of her first serves and was broken four times.
(8) Anisimova def. (2) Swiatek: 6-4, 6-3
• Anisimova’s 3rd career major semifinal appearance (2019 French Open, 2025 Wimbledon)
• 1st woman at a major in the Open era (since 1968) to beat an opponent that double-bageled her at a major earlier in that year
• 1st American woman to beat WTA Top-2 player in back-to-back majors since Serena Williams in 2012 at Wimbledon and US Open
• 1 of 2 active American women to reach a major semifinal on all 3 surfaces, alongside Venus Williams
• Swiatek won only 33% of her 2nd serve points (lowest in any of her 5 matches at this year’s US Open)
— ESPN Research
“I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that,” Swiatek said, “and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns.”
In the second set, Anisimova fell behind early again, this time 2-0. But she again regrouped and quickly gained the upper hand. Swiatek was the one looking increasingly frustrated, shaking her head or slumping her shoulders between points, spreading her arms wide and looking to her coach for advice, and leaning back in her changeover chair as if pondering what, exactly, she could do differently.
When Swiatek double-faulted to trail 5-3 in the second set, that allowed Anisimova to serve out the victory.
“From the get-go, I was trying to fire myself up,” Anisimova said. “She is one of the toughest players I’ve ever played. I knew I was going to have to dig deep.”
After taking down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals, Anisimova is the first American woman to defeat a WTA Top-2 player in back-to-back majors since Serena Williams in 2012 at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Having just turned 24 on Sunday, Anisimova is also the youngest woman to reach a major semifinal on all three surfaces since 23-year-old Simona Halep at the 2015 US Open.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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