After a grueling season marked by near-misses and heartbreaking final losses, Aryna Sabalenka entered her third straight US Open final with one last opportunity to claim the Grand Slam title she believed she deserved.
This moment could have brought more anxiety and stress, another chance for her to unravel, but Sabalenka’s remarkable career has been defined by her resilience and ability to learn from even her most painful defeats. This time, the world No. 1 held her nerve under pressure, staying composed during a late surge from Amanda Anisimova before sealing her US Open title defense with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory.
As the top player at the height of her powers, Sabalenka continues to cement her status as one of the greatest of her generation. With this win, she now has four Grand Slam titles, tying the totals of Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Naomi Osaka, and Hana Mandlikova. Sabalenka has built a period of dominance on hard courts, winning her majors evenly between the Australian and US Opens. She has also reached six consecutive hard-court Grand Slam finals.
Just eight weeks after being overpowered by Anisimova in their Wimbledon semifinal, Sabalenka played a smart match. She applied pressure with her aggressive first-strike tennis but also played with greater consistency, using her more complete game to outmaneuver her opponent. Most importantly, she stayed calm even when the match grew tense at the end.
“I think because of the finals earlier this season, this one felt different,” Sabalenka said. “It felt like I had to overcome a lot to get this title. I knew all the hard work we put in meant I deserved a Grand Slam this season. So when I won, the emotions were real—defending this title and playing such great tennis means so much. To bring that fight and handle my emotions the way I did in this final makes me incredibly proud.”
From the start, both players showed that in a match between two of the sport’s most dangerous shotmakers, only fearless, clear-headed attacking tennis would suffice. After a nervous beginning, Anisimova settled into the match, unleashing the powerful groundstrokes that had carried her to big wins over Iga Świątek and Naomi Osaka earlier in the week. But under pressure on such a big stage, and facing an ultra-focused Sabalenka who attacked her second serve, delivered clutch serves, and made few errors, Anisimova was ultimately undone by her own mistakes.
Late in the second set, Anisimova found an opening. With Sabalenka two points from victory at 6-3, 5-4, the Belarusian showed nerves at 30-30, misjudging an easy smash and hitting it into the net. Anisimova seized the chance immediately, firing a forehand winner to break serve and then holding her own serve comfortably.
This could have been where Sabalenka fell apart, with all the painful memories of the season flooding back. Instead, she kept her emotions in check and closed out her fourth Grand Slam title with a flawless tie-break. Remarkably, Sabalenka has now won her last 19 tie-breaks, a streak dating back to February.Charities, online ads, and content on our site may be funded by external partners. If you don’t have an account, we’ll set up a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send this newsletter. You can complete your full registration anytime. For details on how we handle your data, please see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to secure our website, and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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Of all the tough losses Sabalenka faced this year, none hurt more than her three-set defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final. She went into the match confident she was mentally and physically prepared for anything, but she broke down emotionally on the court and later vented her frustration in the press room—a moment she found both disappointing and embarrassing. Sabalenka also lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final.
“After those two finals where I completely lost control of my emotions, I was determined not to let it happen again,” Sabalenka said. “There were moments when I was on the verge of losing it, but I kept telling myself, ‘Stay focused, keep pushing.’ That mindset really helped. I need to carry that same approach into every final—and I hope there are many more—so I stick to the plan no matter what.”
In another high-stakes match against an American opponent, with the New York crowd loudly rooting against her all night, Sabalenka held herself together under extreme pressure. She secured a win that could pave the way for even greater achievements ahead.
After a crushing 6-0, 6-0 loss to Iga Świątek at Wimbledon, Sabalenka earned another shot at a Grand Slam final. This time, her opponent Anisimova put up a strong fight and competed hard until the end, but she was too inconsistent against the world’s best player. As Sabalenka went into the stands to celebrate with her team, a tearful Anisimova was comforted in her chair by tournament director Stacey Allaster. “I don’t think I fought hard enough for my dreams today,” Anisimova said.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Aryna Sabalenkas victory over Amanda Anisimova at the US Open designed to be clear and helpful for all levels of tennis fans
General Beginner Questions
Q Who won the US Open womens singles final
A Aryna Sabalenka won defeating Amanda Anisimova
Q What was the final score
A Sabalenka won 64 63
Q Is this her first major title
A No this is her second US Open title and her third Grand Slam title overall
Q What does it mean to defend a title
A It means she won the tournament last year and then won it again this year successfully keeping her championship title
Q Who is Amanda Anisimova
A An American tennis player who was a surprise finalist She was once a topranked junior and is known for her powerful groundstrokes
Advanced Tactical Questions
Q How did Sabalenka win the match
A She used her signature powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes to control the points and put constant pressure on Anisimova limiting her opponents opportunities
Q What was a key turning point in the match
A Sabalenka breaking Anisimovas serve late in the first set was crucial It gave her the set and massive momentum heading into the second set
Q How did Sabalenka handle the pressure of being the defending champion
A She played with incredible focus and aggression from the start using the pressure to fuel her powerful game rather than letting it make her nervous
Q What was notable about Anisimovas run to the final
A It was a remarkable Cinderella story She entered the tournament ranked much lower and beat several higherranked players showing immense mental strength on her return to the tour
Q What does this win mean for the WTA rankings
A By defending her title and its 2000 ranking points Sabalenka solidified her position as the World No 1
