2025 Wimbledon women's final preview: Iga Swiatek vs. Amanda Anisimova

Iga Swiatek vs. Amanda Anisimova

“I never thought it’s going to be possible,” Swiatek said when she was asked whether winning Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces has been a goal of hers.

Her run to the Wimbledon final, in other words, has been as surprising to her as it has been to everyone else—maybe more so. Swiatek has four major titles on clay, and one on hard courts at the US Open in 2022. But a title at the All England Club this year was a long shot for two big reasons: She had reached the quarterfinals there just once before, and she was coming off her worst clay-court season of this decade. Swiatek, a longtime No. 1 player, hasn’t won a title yet in 2025.

Read More: Wimbledon women's semifinals: Amanda Anisimova stayed calm, and Iga Swiatek was 'in the zone'

Maybe losing her Roland Garros crown took some pressure off her. Maybe she had a better training plan this year, with coach Wim Fissette, particularly when it came to her serve, which is all-important at Wimbledon. Maybe it was just a matter of time before she felt comfortable moving on grass. Whatever the reason, Iga has made a 180-degree turnaround on the surface in a matter of a month.

“Honestly, I think it’s easier if you haven’t won Roland Garros, and also if you had more time to practice,” Swiatek says. “If I win Roland Garros and then I come here…[people] put, like, super high expectations.”

Will we soon be calling her the Queen of Grass, as well as the Queen of Clay?

Before Swiatek claims that crown, she’ll face a challenge not unlike three of those she faced to get here. Anisimova has always been a “can beat anyone on any given day” type of player. A rangy 5-foot-11, she has some of the easiest power on either tour, especially with her two-handed backhand. But her flattish growing strokes don’t give her a lot of margin, so she tends toward the streaky.

That’s not unlike three of Swiatek’s previous opponents this fortnight: Danielle Collins, Clara Tauson, and Liudmila Samsonova. Each has top-tier power, but none of them put it to the best use all the time. Swiatek didn’t drop a set to any of them. Even more promising was the way she steamrolled Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals. Swiatek’s serve, return, and, most important, her often-erratic forehand, were all dialed in.

“I felt just good and in the zone,” she said. “I was focused from the beginning till the end.”

When Swiatek gets in that kind of a groove coming into a final, it can be tough to get her out of it. She’s 22-5 in finals overall, and 5-0 at the majors. Her game is so naturally offensive, and her shots so explosive when they’re clicking, there’s not a lot an opponent can do to disrupt her.

Anisimova, though, has the firepower to make it happen. She and Swiatek have never played—I’m not sure who, if anyone, that will favor. But Anisimova, as she has shown again Aryna Sabalenka over the years, has the ability to pick off hard-hit shots, time them up, and send them back even harder.

Each woman has her strengths and weaknesses from the baseline, which can be exploited by the other. Swiatek doesn’t like to be rushed; Anisimova has the pace to rush her. Anisimova doen’t like to run side to side and cover the corners; Swiatek specializes in putting the ball in those corners. Which means the first strike will be key—or even more key than usual.

“Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special,” Anisimova says. “Hopefully I can bring some high-quality tennis and make it a battle out there. I’m just going to go out and enjoy every moment and try to not think about what’s on the line there.”

Read More: Amanda Anisimova tops Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, will face Iga Swiatek for Wimbledon title

Which takes us to the last and perhaps most important element of this contest: Nerves. This is where Swiatek should have an edge. She’s played and won five major finals, whereas Anisimova will be making her debut. How will she react to the uniquely stifling pressure of Centre Court on the final weekend? Anisimova, who has survived some very nervy moments in her last two matches, doesn’t sound too worried so far.

“I think for sure that’s going to be coming into play a bit, keeping our nerves at bay and staying composed,” she says. “I haven't been in a Grand Slam final before, but I’ve experienced a lot of moments similar and a lot of high-stakes matches. I feel like I’m pretty prepared.”

Anisimova has the game to win, but I’ll take the player who hasn’t lost at this stage yet. Winner: Swiatek