Amanda Anisimova’s perfect summer was supposed to continue in Montreal. Fresh off her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and sitting at a career-high No. 7 ranking, the American looked ready to dominate the hard-court swing. Instead, she was packing her bags after a Round of 16 loss that left fans wondering what went wrong.
Why Did Amanda Anisimova Struggle Against Elina Svitolina?
In the hours following her Round of 16 loss, Anisimova turned to Instagram to provide context for her performance. She wrote simply that she “fell a bit ill today, but gave it my all regardless,” and expressed gratitude to the Canadian fans for their unwavering support.
On August 4 in Montreal, Anisimova faced Elina Svitolina, the No. 10 seed, on Centre Court. The match began evenly, with both players holding serve until 4–4 in the first set. At that point, Anisimova’s movement became noticeably labored, and Svitolina secured a crucial break to lead 5–4 before serving out the set 6–4.
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In the second set, Anisimova struggled to find her range as multiple long rallies ended with unforced errors, and Svitolina converted three of four break points. The set concluded 6–1, bringing the Anisimova’s 2025 Canadian Open campaign to an end.
Earlier in the week, Anisimova had defeated Emma Raducanu 6–2, 6–1 in the third round. Her aggression and varied shot selection had been on full display in that match, making the contrast with her struggle against Svitolina more pronounced.
Despite the early exit in Montreal, Anisimova’s 2025 season includes significant milestones and consistent results. In February, she won the WTA 1000 Qatar Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6–4, 6–3 in the final for her first title at that level. Following this breakthrough victory, the American faced challenges on hard courts during the spring swing, reaching the Round of 16 in the Miami Open but getting eliminated in the first round in both Dubai and Indian Wells.
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The grass-court season proved to be Anisimova’s strongest period. She reached the finals at the Queen’s Club Championships, demonstrating remarkable adaptability across surfaces. The highlight of her season came at Wimbledon, where she reached her maiden Grand Slam final before falling 0–6, 0–6 to Iga Świątek.
Through late July, Anisimova compiled a 31–13 win-loss record. Her results propelled her to a career-high ranking of World No. 7 on July 14. As she recovers from the illness that ended her run in Montreal, Anisimova will shift her focus to the upcoming US Open, seeking to build on what has been a breakthrough season despite this recent setback.
