US tennis star Amanda Anisimova opted to miss both of this year's Wimbledon finals in favour of watching England's World Cup clash with Norway live in Miami, Florida. The 24-year-old was left in tears after her third-round defeat by fellow American Madison Keys at the All England Club earlier this month.
Emotional Press Conference After Wimbledon Exit
Following her loss, Anisimova broke down during her press conference, expressing frustration with her performance. She said: "I feel like I'm doing everything I can and working really hard. So, for my game to still be at this point, it's really hard to digest and take. It's almost like I'm playing at a 125,000 level, not Wimbledon." She added: "For me, it wasn't enjoyable to play out there today with my tennis being like that. It was really, really tough."
Anisimova stated she planned to fly home to the US and take a break before preparations for the US Open. She did just that but surprised fans by switching sports and attending England's 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway on Saturday in Miami.
Watching with Coco Gauff
The tennis ace was joined by compatriot Coco Gauff, who had lost to Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals in a hard-fought three-set affair. The pair enjoyed the change of pace from the stresses of Wimbledon, smiling and posing for pictures from a corporate VIP box at Miami Stadium. Anisimova blissfully declared: "We're not at the tennis anymore." She even wore a Three Lions home jersey to show support for Thomas Tuchel's team.
Their appearance meant neither attended the women's final at Wimbledon, where Linda Noskova defeated Muchova just three hours before kick-off in Miami. They also missed Jannik Sinner reclaiming his Wimbledon crown in a four-set thriller against Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
Anisimova's Struggles on Court
Anisimova, who suffered a brutal defeat to Iga Swiatek in last year's final, said she wasn't struggling physically but was emotionally affected. Tearing up, she added: "Sorry. I was excited to go back out on Centre Court, especially playing on Court 2 the last two days. So I was really eager to play. Obviously nervous, because I know my level hasn't been great lately. I was very aware of that."
