The lessons advertisers can take out of the Wimbledon women’s final

Credit: The Athletic, Jul 15, 2025

On July 12, Amanda Anisimova stepped onto the largest stage in women’s tennis; one rung from its peak...and failed miserably.  She was thrashed 6-0 6-0 by Iga Świątek in a painfully one-sided match. 

Yet in her post-match interview she found the strength and insight to reframe her loss in a way that can only empower her.  “I always believe in myself so I hope to be back here again one day.”

In an excellent article in The Athletic, writer Rustin Dodd told Amanda’s story with empathy and skill.  (Why Amanda Anisimova’s emotional post-match interview was a masterclass in handling failure - The Athletic) (paywalled).

He quotes professor Amy Edmondson of the Harvard Business School and writes:

“It was courageous,” Edmondson said. “It was honest, and then you realize how compelling it is and how few people truly take that opportunity to be honest and vulnerable and generous after a devastating failure.”

Edmondson’s argument stems from a simple belief: The best companies fail more, not less. “The most successful or high-performance organizations are not the ones that never fail,” she says. “They’re the ones that catch and correct. And they’re willing to take risks in new territory in ways that often lead to success — but often don’t.”

I was struck by the lessons here for us in the advertising business.  Shouldn’t both advertisers and agencies be clear examples of professionals that take risks in new territories?  Creative leaders, planners and innovators in this community are constantly breaking new ground, searching for better ideas and better ways of practicing their craft.

But too often timidity replaces courage.  Fear of finding out stifles advances in knowledge.  Fear of change displaces curiosity.  An aversion to independent thinking stunts exploration and innovation.  Not wanting to look dumb replaces asking the questions that would avoid or shut down shoddy business practices.

Amanda Anisimova reminds all of us that reaching for the best in us requires taking risks and inevitably, we will see some failure on the way.  It’s how we handle the setbacks that determines how far we can go.