Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka defeats Amanda Anisimova once again to claim her second consecutive US Open championship.
In a nail-biting final at the 2025 US Open, Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her title, defeating Amanda Anisimova in a closely contested match.
The conditions inside Arthur Ashe Stadium were favourable for both players, with the roof and lights creating a windless environment that suited their power-hitting styles. However, it was Sabalenka who capitalised on the situation, earning her fourth Grand Slam trophy.
The early stages of the match saw Sabalenka take the lead, with most of her points coming from unforced errors by Anisimova (6) and forced errors (6). Despite dropping a routine overhead smash into the net, giving her opponent a break chance, Sabalenka maintained her composure and told herself she wouldn't lose control during those moments.
Anisimova fought back, breaking Sabalenka and winning the game with a backhand and forehand winner. The American led 3-2 in the set, but Sabalenka was not to be outdone. She regained her focus and broke her opponent again to win the set and take a commanding 6-3 lead.
The second set was a tense affair, with both players displaying impressive resilience. Sabalenka mentioned that there were two moments in the match where she was close to losing control, but she was able to compose herself and stay in the game. Anisimova, on the other hand, had a hard time seeing the ball during serve tosses due to the conditions.
In the end, Sabalenka's consistency paid off, as she broke Anisimova again to win the set 6-4 and the match 6-3, 6-4. The victory makes Sabalenka the first woman to earn the trophy at Flushing Meadows in consecutive years since Serena Williams in 2012-14.
Anisimova, who was defeated by Sabalenka in the final, can take solace in the fact that she nearly matched her opponent in terms of winners (22-13), but had nearly twice as many unforced errors (29-15). Sabalenka dropped her racket on the court and smiled ruefully after a missed shot, but she quickly regained her focus and closed out the match in style.
With this victory, Sabalenka avoided becoming the first woman to lose three major finals in a season since Justine Henin in 2006. She now joins an exclusive club of women who have won multiple U.S. Open titles, and she will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in future Grand Slam tournaments.
