“I was like ‘You don’t want to say sorry?’”: Aryna Sabalenka fumes over Amanda Anisimova’s mid-point celebration
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka expressed irritation with Amanda Anisimova during their Wimbledon 2025 semi-final on July 10, where Anisimova secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory to reach her first Grand Slam final. The tension arose from two incidents where Sabalenka felt Anisimova breached tennis etiquette. In the second set, at 3-2, 30-30 on Sabalenka’s serve, Anisimova let out a shout during a rally, which Sabalenka perceived as a premature celebration while she was still chasing the ball. Sabalenka later told reporters, “She was already celebrating it. I was like, ‘That’s a bit too early,’” adding that Anisimova’s response, implying it was her usual grunt, “p***ed me off,” per *The Telegraph* and *BBC Sport*.[](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/07/10/wimbledon-2025-live-score-sabalenka-vs-anisimova-latest/)[](https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/c9w1nk4575xo)
The second incident occurred in the third set when Anisimova’s shot clipped the net cord for a winner at 4-2, securing a crucial hold. Instead of offering the customary apologetic gesture, Anisimova raised her fist, prompting Sabalenka to remark, “I was like, ‘You don’t want to say sorry?’ She just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match. It’s on her,” per *The Independent* and *Daily Mail*. Anisimova clarified post-match, saying, “I wasn’t celebrating. It was just a long grunt… I didn’t feel like it was that interfering,” and ensured she avoided repeating it, per *ProFootballNetwork*.[
Sabalenka, who has now lost three consecutive Wimbledon semi-finals, admitted the incidents fueled her fight, helping her win the second set, but regretted not maintaining that intensity in the decider, per *The Standard*. Despite the frustration, she praised Anisimova’s bravery, noting, “She was the better player,” and humorously addressed her past French Open press conference controversy, saying, “You’re not going to see a Roland Garros press conference,” per *BBC Sport*. X posts, like @TheTennisLetter, echoed the debate, with some fans questioning Sabalenka’s reaction to the net cord incident, per.[]
