The first Wimbledon champion will be crowned on Saturday. Few people predicted the two finalists. Has five-time major champion Iga Swiatek been known for being weak in grass until this season? Or, No. 13, Seeda Manda Anishimoba, the American who burned the field, will upset the world’s No. 1 Arena Sabalenka on Thursday.
Our experts place importance on how each one can separate their victory.
What can Anisimova do to defeat Swiatek?
Simon Cambers: First of all, Anishimoba needs to work well. There’s no way she can defeat Swiatek unless she lands a high percentage of her first serve in this form. Interestingly, Americans’ win rates in their first serves dip the game in matches, but have risen since the third round in their second serves.
Above all, Anishimoba needs to be relaxed. Because in her first Wimbledon final, she must have nerves. Swiatek plays great here to make her look like her former self, but you may still be questionable if things get tough and the game starts to move. Anisimova must stay mentally and physically in Swiatek and shows her that even if Swiatek is on the role, she will not leave. And she needs to continue playing the way she played with grass throughout the summer. She needs to go for it, as this may be her only chance to win the Wimbledon title.
D’Arcy Maine: Anishimoba is certainly confident and, as Sabalenka mentioned on Thursday, has the courage to win the Wimbledon title. She had to fight through most of the run, and she was offensive and was able to find her way by taking chances in the toughest moments. She needs to bring all of that to the table on Saturday – and a few.
But, as Simon said, for Anishimova, it might come down to the nerves in her first major final. On Thursday she said she was trying not to think about what happened on the line of the game, but that’s easier than that. She needs to find out through a way to stay as organized and focused as possible, realizing from the start that most of them will likely have moments when the stakes work. How does she treat them?
If she is as prepared as possible, both strategically and mentally, she will have the best chance to complete her miraculous two weeks with the trophy.
Bill Connelly: Good servings are certainly essential for Anisimova. Swiatek is erasing the second serve. She has scored at least 58% of her second serve return points in five of her six matches, a staggering 71% in the last two matches. Certainly, Anishimoba has earned 60% of his second serve points against Sabalenka. She is so powerful that her second serve is just the second serve – but Swiatek will help her first serve well.
But beyond that, the best thing Anisimova can do is pin Swiatek with a pin in backhand hell. Anishimova has the best backhand in women’s tennis. It is an absolute cannon and is the source of many successes in long meetings. She’s a bit contradictory, playing some of the shortest points in the game on average, but she does very well at longer points, and now the backhand vs backhand rally ends up in favor of the Americans.
What can Swiatek do to defeat Anisimova?
main: Swiatek certainly has advantages when it comes to experience, and that helps. Certainly, she never played in the Wimbledon Finals, but she played in the other five slam finals and won all of them.
Due to previous results at the All England Club, Swiatek had no pressure or attention she had elsewhere, especially at Roland Garros. Now a favorite, she needs to adjust all her expectations and simply focus on what has won her to this point.
And of course, it’s her extraordinary play. After Thursday’s semi-final, Belinda Bensik said, “I would have had to risk every shot to play my absolute best tennis in my life and beat her the way she played her today,” praised Swiatek’s speed, serve and ability to direct the match perfectly. If Swiatek brings the same level and strength and continues to trust her new instincts on the grass, the title will look well within her grasp.
Camber: Continue playing the way she plays. Throughout her (relative) struggles at Clay this year, Saab is where she is the most vulnerable and sometimes broken, which flooded the rest of her game.
At Wimbledon, she served brilliantly, losing only six service games in six games. She scored over 70% of her points in her first serve in every match, three times over 80%. If she serves that way, it is difficult to see Anishimova hurt her, but the second serve can get medical treatment, so she needs a high percentage.
There’s no better move than Swiatek. She also seems to have found some tips to move well on the grass. This writes up the trouble for Anisimova, who has great power but can expose movements if Swiatek sets his feet. Swiatek can also use her greater experience to better deal with the nerves.
Connelly: Yes, no one touches on the version of Swiatek that he saw in court on Thursday. She found the fifth gear. That said, she sometimes played with her serve on a little fire — she had to save 13 of her 15 breakpoints against Kathy McNally in the second round. It’s great that she came in those clutch moments, but it was a lot of breakpoints and Anishimova created double digit breakpoints on her return in every match in the tournament. Maybe Swiatek plays on fire without getting burned, but that’s probably not something you’d like to rely on in the way Anishimoba plays.
Who will win?
Pam Shriver: Former Wimbledon junior champion Sweet has been in the shape of a great grass coat over the past three weeks. Perhaps losing at Roland Garros and not playing as many clay court matches as other recent clay seasons, Sweet gave her more bandwidth and time to find her grass court confidence. Her movements look safer than in other herbivore seasons. Moreover, her more compact swing appears to punish the enemy. Unless Swiatek is playing an unsettling match, unless Anisimova can play First Strike Tennis, Swiatek will be the ninth different female champion in many Wimbledons.
Camber: If Anisimova wins, it will be a great story, and the head says Swiatek will come to the top. She’s been there and has done it five times, and although this is her first Wimbledon final, she knows how to handle the biggest opportunities. The irony of playing so well on the grass when the clay doesn’t work very well is not lost to her. But her coach Wim Fissette has a great record of producing winners. Together, their experience, quality and class can win her.
main: I chose Swiatek at the start of the tournament – I have been an unpleasant reminder of those who listen – and she was increasingly impressed by her domination and unflapping attitude for two weeks. It would be incredible if Anisimova were to win, and I believe that one day she’ll win a major title, but I don’t think it’s going on Saturday. Swiatek has experience, movement, speed and serve. All of that proves too much for Anishimoba. 3 sets of Swiatek.
Connelly: Swiatek lost both of her finals in 2025. It dropped his career record in the final… 30-6. Another world. If she reaches this point in a tournament, she usually wins. (On the other hand, Anishimoba: 3-6 final.) During this two weeks of Wimbledon, Swiatek was clearly confident, with the hot and dry conditions minimising many creepy movements and unreliable bounces that allow him to drag a coat of natural clay, such as Swiatek on the grass.
This seems to be the perfect time for her to get her first Wimbledon title. Anisimova is hitting the ball incredibly well, so she is going to get a chance. In fact, I’m sure she’ll take the set. However, I speculate that Swiatek will take the other two.
