Amanda Anisimova has been riding a wave of confidence on grass this season—and she’s not slowing down.
But during her latest match at Wimbledon, it wasn’t just her opponent trying to throw her off her rhythm.
An unexpected pop from the crowd nearly did the trick.
A Confident Start After Strong Grass Court Form
Coming into Wimbledon in great form, the 22-year-old Russian-American had plenty of momentum behind her.
She had just reached the final at the first-ever women’s WTA 500 event at Queen’s Club, showing off her comfort and growing confidence on grass.
And in the early rounds at SW19, she barely broke a sweat, cruising past Yulia Putintseva and Renata Zarazua in straight sets.
Momentum Shifts in a Tight Battle
Her third-round opponent, Hungary’s Dalma Galfi, didn’t go down without a fight.
Anisimova breezed through the first set 6-3, but Galfi dug deep to take the second 7-5.
The match was heating up—and then came the moment that no one expected.
Champagne Cork Interrupts Tense Third Set
Just as Anisimova was trying to regain control in the third set, having taken the opening point on her serve, the sound of a champagne cork popping sliced through the tension on No. 3 Court. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Anisimova, clearly annoyed, turned to the stands and asked, “Why did you have to open that right now?”
Her frustration was audible, and honestly, understandable.
She managed to stay composed enough to win the next point, going up 30-love, but the chair umpire stepped in with a very “Wimbledon” reminder: “Ladies and gentlemen, please avoid opening bottles of champagne when the players are about to serve.”
One BBC commentator couldn’t help but chuckle, calling it “the most Wimbledon warning you’ve ever heard.”
She’s Not Alone—Raducanu Faced a Similar Fizz Fiasco
Turns out, Anisimova wasn’t the only one dealing with bubbly distractions this week.
Her good friend Emma Raducanu had her own cork moment during her opener against fellow Brit Mimi Xu.
A cork actually flew onto the court during a changeover.
Raducanu laughed it off in her post-match interview: “I saw a champagne cork fly onto the court so cheers to you! I’m glad people were having fun.”
She added that Wimbledon is her favourite tournament and that the energy from the crowd is unmatched.
Anisimova Powers Through to the Last 16
Despite the interruption and a gritty performance from Galfi, Anisimova kept her head in the game.
She wrapped up the final set 6-3, booking her spot in the last 16.
Reflecting on the match, she said on court, “It was an incredibly tough match. I just kept fighting.
She was playing really well. I’ll need to hit the practice courts tomorrow.
But thank you to everyone—the support was amazing.”
Adjusting to Wimbledon’s Unique Atmosphere
Speaking to Mail Sport after the match, Anisimova admitted that the constant cork-popping did throw her off. “I mean, it kept happening,” she said.
“At some point I was like, can everybody just do it on the changeover?”
She explained that the atmosphere on Court 3 was pretty rowdy, with noise coming from spectators outside the court too.
“It was definitely a bit distracting,” she admitted.
“But then again, I just have to adjust, try and focus.
I love the energy, though—the crowd has been so supportive.”
