Aryna Sabalenka beats Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in US Open women's singles final
Ends her Major final heartache, having lost two showpieces in 2025
Anisimova finishes with seven double-faults and 29 unforced errors
Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open crown as she kept her cool to earn a straight-sets win over Amanda Anisimova in Saturday's final.
Despite signs of nerves, Sabalenka took just one hour and 36 minutes to claim the 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory against the spirited Anisimova on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sabalenka won her fourth grand slam title, all of which have come on hard court, ending her major final heartache, having lost two showpieces in 2025.
Anisimova, backed by the home crowd, showed some fight to keep herself in the match, having been ruthlessly dismantled by Iga Swiatek 6-0 6-0 at Wimbledon in July, but could not force a decider.
Sabalenka made a bit of a shaky start, giving up three break points in the opening game as Anisimova asserted herself, but the world number one held onto her serve before getting what looked to be a vital early break.
However, Anisimova ensured she would not be on the end of another bagel scoreline in a grand slam final, as she won the next three games in a row, thanks to a double-break, with her aggression too much for Sabalenka.
Mistakes soon started to creep into Anisimova's game, though, with double-faults and unforced errors hindering her. Sabalenka pounced, with a break to love in the following game, levelling the score at 3-3.
From there, it was all the world number one, and after getting her third break of the first set, Sabalenka served it out with ease, Anisimova firing a forehand wide, much to her frustration.
Anisimova held her serve to open the second set, though not without difficulty, as she was forced to deuce three times despite holding a 40-15 lead at one point, but a pinpoint ace got her on the board.
In the blink of an eye, Sabalenka was back in control, with Anisimova struggling to maintain her accuracy, with wayward forehand shots costing her during the Belarusian's three-game winning streak.
The American gave the home crowd something to cheer, though, as she began gaining momentum once more. A love-break levelled the score at 3-3, but even when Sabalenka put herself on the brink at 5-3, Anisimova refused to back down.
She held serve before her front-footed approach came to the fore once more during a three-game winning streak, but Sabalenka forced a tie-break and appeared to be cruising over the finish line after taking a 6-1 lead.
Anisimova once again put up a fight, defending the first two match points she faced, but a stunning comeback remained out of her reach, with a wide return clinching the championship for Sabalenka, who dropped to her knees in celebration.
Sabalenka's experience shines through
Sabalenka is known for her hard-court prowess, having reached each of the last six major finals on the surface, and as the reigning champion, she had something to prove.
So far, 2025 had not been kind to Sabalenka, who lost both the Australian Open and the French Open finals to Madison Keys and Coco Gauff respectively, meaning a third showpiece against an American opponent would not have been high on her list of preferences.
Only five players had previously lost three grand slam finals in a single calendar year, but with a 100th match win at grand slams in her sights, Sabalenka was not prepared to go down without a fight.
It has been a while since a back-to-back champion has been crowned at Flushing Meadows, but Sabalenka became the first player to win consecutive titles at the US Open since Serena Williams (2013-2014).
She is also the third player during the Open Era to win her first four grand slam titles on hard courts, after Naomi Osaka and Kim Clijsters.
And it seems fitting that she could seal the victory with a tie-break win – she is now 19-0 in such situations since February, and by extending that run on the biggest stage, Sabalenka does walk away as a major champion in 2025.
More Grand Slam heartbreak for Anisimova
Much has been made of Anisimova's disappointing Wimbledon defeat in her first grand slam final, but the American said she had watched that game back – prior to facing Swiatek in the quarter-final – in order to learn from it.
And it appeared she did just that, as she became the first woman in the Open Era to lose a grand slam final 6-0 6-0, and then reach the showpiece match of the very next major.
She will not have been daunted by the task, though, having already beaten two former number ones to reach the showpiece in Swiatek and Osaka, as well as having an impressive head-to-head record against Sabalenka heading into the final (6-3).
In the end, though, it was experience that turned the tide. Anisimova (23 years 358 days) was the youngest player to reach the women's singles finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in a season since Serena and Venus Williams in 2002.
But as the mistakes piled up, she struggled to stay in the match. Anisimova finished with seven double-faults and 29 unforced errors, with some of those coming at key moments, allowing the momentum to shift back in Sabalenka's favour.
For the second time in two months, Anisimova suffered heartbreak in a grand slam final, but once the dust has settled, she will find cause for optimism after a gutsy performance in front of her home crowd.
