Anisimova, seeded 13th, stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win in a bruising semi-final on Centre Court on Thursday.
The 23-year-old will face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the title match on Saturday.
It was a cathartic triumph for Anisimova, who was a rising star after reaching the French Open semi-finals aged just 17 in 2019.
The American struggled to live up to the hype after that breakthrough run at Roland Garros, and stepped away from tennis in 2023 after suffering depression brought on by the scrutiny and expectations that came with being a teen prodigy.
She was told that her exile could be fatal to her chances of competing at a high level when she eventually returned.
But she won the Qatar Open this February and showed she was comfortable on grass by reaching the Queen’s Club final in June.
After reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final, Anisimova was already guaranteed to move into the top 10 in the WTA rankings for the first time next week.
Now she is within touching distance of fulfilling her potential with a first Grand Slam crown.
“I think it’s different for everyone. I think it goes to show that it is possible,” she said.
“I think that’s a really special message that I’ve been able to show because when I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game,” she added.
Anisimova will take on Swiatek, who routed Tokyo Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 to also reach her first Wimbledon final.
The five-time Grand Slam champion, seeded eighth at the All England Club, dominated her Swiss opponent from the start, wrapping up victory in 71 minutes on Centre Court. (AFP)