Anisimova Edges Kenin in Gritty 3-Set Battle to Reach Wimbledon Third Round

Anisimova’s 20 aces propel her past Kenin into Wimbledon round 3 

Amanda Anisimova survived a second-round scare vs Sofia Kenin to reach Wimbledon round 3, firing 20 aces in a 2-hour, 3-set win.

Wimbledon: Anisimova Survives Decider Tiebreak to Beat Kenin 7-6(10-3)...

Two American players in their 20s with Russian immigrant parents delivered a gritty battle at Wimbledon. Amanda Anisimova outlasted Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(10-3) on Thursday to advance to the third round. 

The sixth seed appeared set for more Centre Court pain. Just a year after becoming the first player in over 100 years to lose a Wimbledon final 6-0, 6-0, Anisimova looked like she might fall again to an opponent she was favored to defeat.

Kenin has dropped to 105th in the rankings, a far cry from the player who won the 2020 Australian Open. Against her, Anisimova looked rattled and dropped serve on her way to trailing 3-1 in the final set. 

Down 3-1 in the decider after losing her serve, Anisimova snapped out of it the only way she could - by shouting out her frustration.

“Some moments were really awful. I'm just happy to be through to the next ‌round,” Anisimova said after nearly letting the match slip away. Her bid for the title almost ended in the two-hour match, where she committed 46 unforced errors.

Still, the 20 aces she blasted helped offset the mistakes and kept her from being undone by those errant shots.

“I never thought I'd say this but thank you to my serve. I'm not a good server at all but after today, I can say that I am,” she added smiling.

“I'm really happy with my ‌performance, especially with the end. Shout out to Sofia, she's such a good opponent, a real fighter.

“I was down and told ‌myself to keep fighting. I really tried to bring myself back to the present moment. I try to remind myself - have fun, you're playing at Wimbledon. These are the matches I train for, the tough ones, the fun ones.”

What a tiebreak 🔥

Amanda Anisimova defeats Kenin to advance to the third round! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/r88I3J7VJ2

— wta (@WTA) July 2, 2026

She’ll face fellow American and 26th seed Madison Keys next, with a spot in the fourth round on the line.