Amanda Anisimova will face Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon after the American beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the last four.
The 13th seed completed a deserved win over Sabalenka in a dramatic match on Centre Court on Thursday, and Sunday will mark a first Grand Slam final for the 23-year-old.
Her early career had shown plenty of promise, marked by a semi-final at the French Open in 2019 at the age of just 17, though she took a brief career break due to mental health and was ranked 191st in the world this time last year.
And a run to the final completes a remarkable turnaround from this time last year, with Anisimova having failed to qualify for the main draw in SW19 in 2024.
But who is the American, and what has her career looked like so far?
Anisimova was born in Florida in 2001, with her parents having emigrated to the States from Russia.
She took up tennis at a young age and quickly showed herself as a talented player, becoming junior world number two in 2016.
And despite only being 23, Asinimova has long been touted as a Grand Slam finalist, having won the US Open girls' title in 2017 by beating Coco Gauff in the final.
2019 would prove to be a breakout year, with the then-17-year-old beating Sabalenka in the second round and defending champion Simona Halep in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
Though she would lose in the semi-finals to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty, a first WTA title win cemented her status as a promising Grand Slam contender.
However, the death of her father and coach Konstantin before the US Open in 2019 stopped the youngster in her tracks, and it wasn’t until 2022 that she had another run in a Grand Slam, reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
She then missed much of the 2023 season for mental health reasons, eventually returning in 2024 when ranked outside the top 400 players in the world.
Last year at Wimbledon, she lost in the third round of qualifying while ranked 191st in the world, and she is now only the second player in the Open era to reach a women's singles Grand Slam final after losing in qualifying at the previous year's event.
"To be honest, if you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon I would not believe you. Especially not this soon," Anisimova said after her semi-final win.
"It's been a year's turnaround. To be in the final is just indescribable, honestly."
Her performances this year have been mixed, with the American losing to Emma Raducanu in the early rounds of the Australian Open and the Miami Open, while she also exited the Madrid and Rome Open at the round of 64 stage.
However, she has picked up form in the lead-up to Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round at the French Open – where she lost to Sabalenka – and then the final at Queens last month.
She will enter the top 10 in the world rankings after Wimbledon, taking her to a career-high ranking.
It seems that the American has taken to the grass courts in the UK, perhaps illustrated by the difference in results from the match against Sabalenka at Roland Garros.
The 23-year-old served well in the win over the world number one while also showcasing her impressive backhand – something that has earned her a reputation as one of the best returners in the women’s game.
After her semi-final victory, Anisimova said that “a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game”.
"Just me being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritise yourself [has] been incredibly special to me,” she explained.
And she could yet go one better this weekend, with the chance to write herself in the annals of Wimbledon history in Sunday’s final.
