"Deleting everything from my phone": Amanda Anisimova shares plan for US Open final preparation after Wimbledon brutal heartbreak

America’s Amanda Anisimova has revealed what she will be doing differently for the US Open final, especially after what happened at Wimbledon just a few months ago. The 24-year-old is going through an incredible season where, in the space of just two months, she is now set to feature in her second Grand Slam final.

Anisimova cemented her spot in the grand finale of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year after beating the former world number one, Japan’s Naomi Osaka, with a score of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3. While doing so, Anisimova became the first player to beat Osaka in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final of a Grand Slam.

It will be Anisimova’s second final in her short Grand Slam career. Earlier this year, she featured in the final of Wimbledon as well. That outing, however, turned out to be a horror dream as the New Jersey-born tennis player suffered a defeat to Poland's Iga Swiatek without winning a single game. The final score of the match was 6-0, 6-0.

Anisimova spoke to the media after the match, where she was asked about how she would prepare for the final of the US Open, especially after what happened in London a month back. In response to that, Anisimova stated that she plans to ‘delete’ everything from her phone to focus on the upcoming contest. Anisimova also stated that at Wimbledon, she surprised herself by going all the way to the final, which has not been the case while playing at the Flashing Meadows.

“I feel like the last few week, it's been a bit of a different feeling,” said Anisimova. “I feel like when I was at Wimbledon, every single match was kind of like a surprise to me and I was like shocked with every match that I won. But here it feels like more I believe in myself and I'm able to do it kind of. So I think that's been the shift for me, at least here at the U.S. Open. Yeah, I mean, I'm going to go about it like it's been every other day. Obviously I'm excited, but I'm kind of shutting off all the noise around me and deleting everything from my phone and to just really focus and zone in on my opportunity and do everything that I can to be ready.”

Anisimova was then asked about how she feels about once again cementing a spot in the final of a major competition, which is too soon after suffering a heartbreaking defeat at Wimbledon. Anisimova responded by saying that, in her opinion, it shows a lot about her character and also shows how much work she has done behind closed doors.

“I think it just shows that I've worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up,” said Anisimova. “Like today, I could have easily said, oh, she's playing better than me and I can't really do anything. And I really tried to find a way, any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough. And she was playing really great tennis. And I think, yeah, I think I've really worked on myself to really be able to handle those moments and to believe in myself, even when it feels like, what is there to believe in, in a way like when you're not playing that well. But yeah, I think I've really done a better job of that, especially since the Wimbledon final. I mean, I think I've really shifted with my attitude as well.”

Anisimova’s next opponent will be the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka. The defending champion defeated America’s Jessica Pegula in the semifinal with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. It will be the 10th meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In the previous nine meetings, Anisimova had a clear advantage as she came out on top on six occasions. Their most recent meeting came in the semifinal of Wimbledon, where Anisimova emerged victorious with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Talking about how she is feeling to face the world’s best player in the final of the Grand Slam, Anisimova stated that she is excited and also highlighted how the previous meetings between the players proved to be a tough contest.

“I'm super excited,” said Anisimova. “To be in the U.S. Open final is really special and just going to try and do all the right things, really prepare to be in the best possible mindset and physically. But, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it and I think it's a great opportunity. I mean, it's the number one player in the world and she's playing amazing tennis and it's going to be a really tough match and a battle. Yeah, I'm excited. Every single time we've played, it's been great. We've had very, very tough matches. I mean, a lot of them have actually been at Grand Slams too, especially early on in my career. But I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon. I mean, it was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her. But yeah, I think that was the most special one for me.”

Anisimova also spoke about how difficult the match was against Osaka. Anisimova stated that most of the time during the match, she was worried about losing control of the proceedings and that the most important thing for her was to keep on fighting to give herself a chance to book a place in the final of the competition.

“Yeah, it was a really tough match,” said Anisimova. “And most of the time I thought that it's going to slip away from me and I'm not going to make it into the final. So at some points I was trying to accept that, as tough as that was. But, yeah, in the later moments of the second set, I was trying to remind myself what was on the line and the opportunity I have. I just, yeah, I mean, I stepped onto the court and I feel like I wasn't playing my tennis because I was nervous and I was, like, letting the stress get to me a little bit. But then I tried to dig deep and find my game. And I feel like throughout the match I was able to find it more and more. And, yeah, the most important thing was that I kept fighting. And then, yeah, obviously after the match, I mean, I'm just happy and I'm relieved. And, yeah, I want to go recover to get ready for the final.”