(September 6, 2025) FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, in her third major final this year, has finally broken through, as the Belarusian defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) to defend her US Open title. She now has four major titles, all on hard courts.
Aryna Sabalenka became the first back-to-back winner of the US Open in women’s singles since Serena Williams in 2014.
The 24-year-old American Anisimova had come back from being shut out in the Wimbledon final, losing to Iga Swiatek, whom she beat in straight sets in her quarterfinal match at the US Open.
Anisimova came into the final leading in the head-to-head match-up 6-3 versus the Belarusian, their last meeting coming in the semifinals of Wimbledon but couldn’t get through her opponent.
Sabalenka was playing in her third major tournament final this year, losing in the finals of the Australian and French Opens. This was her seventh overall major final of her career.
“After Australia Open, I thought that the right way would be just to forget it and move on, but then the same thing happened at the French Open,” said Sabalenka in her news conference. So after French Open I figured that, okay, maybe it’s time for me to sit back and to look at those finals and to maybe learn something, because I didn’t want it to happen again and again and again.”
“So, yeah, I was in Mykonos, reading my book, enjoying the view (laughing), and I was just thinking that why would I let my emotions to take control over me in those two finals? It felt like I thought that, okay, if I made it to the final, it means that I’m going to win it, you know, and I sort of didn’t expect players to come out there and to fight. You know, I thought that everything going to go easily my way, which was completely wrong mindset, you know?
“Going into this final I decided for myself that I’m going to control my emotions. I’m not going to let them take control over me, and doesn’t matter what happens in the match. If she break me back or if she plays incredible tennis — of course, it’s a finals, and she’s going to be fighting, especially after recent final, I knew that she would love to have, like, a better result.
“My mindset was just going out there, fight for every point. Doesn’t matter of the situation. Just focus on myself and focus on things that I have to do to win the match. I think from what I understand today, that the lesson learned and I really hope it will never happen again if I’m going to be playing another finals, that I will be more in control.”
Sabalenka saved three break points in the opening game. Held for 2-0. Anisimova broke serve to get on the board with the roars of the crowd behind her. The American won the next two games to take a 3-2 advantage, but gave up a break at love for 3-3.
A pair of double-faults and unforced errors from Anisimova, gives Sabalenka a 5-3 lead. A hold at 15, Sabalenka won the set 6-3. Anisimova had 15 errors to Sabalenka’s 4 in the set. Anisimova had 13 winners to 3 for Sabalenka.
In the second set, Anisimova had to battle to hold in the first game. She had the crowd clearly behind her, urging her with their applause. But Sabalenka broke twice and took a 4-3 lead.
Sabalenka served for the match at 5-4, but Anisimova would not give up and broke serve for 5-5. In the tiebreaker, Sabalenka kept her record in tiebreaks perfect with a 7-3 score for game, set, and match 6-3, 7-6.
“Losing in two finals in a row is great, but then it’s also super hard,” said Anisimova, “I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.”
Sabalenka said to Anisimova: “I know how much it hurts losing in the finals, but trust me, you’re going to win (one). … Girl, you’re going to enjoy it even more after these tough losses in the finals.”
The 27-year-old takes home a check for five million dollars.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, of course, and I tried to enjoy the atmosphere as much as I could,”said Anisimova.”Especially in the second set when I started to come back, they were really backing me, and I think that was really helpful to try and stay in the match.
“I’ve been really motivated, and I really wanted to give myself the best shot in the final. I don’t know. Like, making it to the final is obviously really special, but it would have been a dream come true to make it all the way.
“But, yeah, I mean, of course I’m motivated, and I hope I can keep working really hard to give myself more opportunities to be in more and more finals.”
“I just felt like throughout the match I wasn’t playing my best tennis. I don’t know. I feel like with finals I have a lot of nerves, and it’s something I’m trying to work on, but I just wish I played more aggressive. Of course, she was playing amazing. She was playing very aggressive and doing all the right things, so she made it very difficult for me today.
“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t win today, so of course I didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality, and I have to accept that. Yeah, I feel like if I fought harder, then maybe I would have given myself more of a chance, but I feel like I was really kind of in the back seat today.”
“She came out, and she was playing great tennis from the start. Obviously she’s No. 1, and she’s very capable of playing amazing tennis, which she did that today. I give all the credit to her.
“Yeah, I mean, I also have a pretty good record in tiebreaks, I’m pretty sure. I just wasn’t playing great. Couldn’t serve again. Yeah, I mean, that’s the reason why she’s No. 1, and that’s why I said that in my speech. I truly really admire her, and she puts in a lot of work, and that’s why she’s where she is.
“Yeah, we’ve had a lot of tough matches. I wish today would have gone a bit deeper, but that’s the way it is.”
Anisimova had issues with her serve due to the lights in Ashe.
“I haven’t played on the court during the day with the roof closed, and it was literally, like, white, and I couldn’t see the ball when I was serving. Like, the whole match, I think starting from the warmup, I was, like, this is really going to be a problem for me. I didn’t know what to do.
“There was no way of adjusting, because I could not see the ball when I was serving, and that was a huge shock to my system, because I knew if I can’t hold my serve, it was going to be very tough to stay in the match.
“Of course, now I know that, and it’s something I can bring into other tournaments or when I have to experience that again, but it was extremely frustrating for me. I mean, I was not expecting that at all, and that made my serving today very, very difficult.”
Sabalenka was asked about her late father and now the family name has yet another trophy.
“It feels a lot. It feels, yeah — it means a lot. You know, when he passed away, you know, I was very depressed. It was a tough moment for me, for my family.
“But in that moment, I decided to take it as motivation, to put our family name in the history. I know that he’s — I want to believe, and I think I feel his protection from up there, and I know that he became my power. So it means a lot.”
Sabalenka stays at No. 1 in the rankings while Anisimova moves up to No. 4 in the world.
More to follow…
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