Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her U.S. Open championship Saturday, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The No. 1 seed from Belarus became the first woman to win consecutive U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams‘ three-year streak from 2012-2014. The victory marks Sabalenka’s fourth Grand Slam championship, all achieved on hard courts.
Why It Matters
This championship represents a significant psychological breakthrough for Sabalenka, who suffered devastating final losses at both the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.
Sabalenka’s triumph also continues American disappointment in Grand Slam finals, as Anisimova became the latest U.S. player to fall short on home soil.
What To Know
The 27-year-old nearly faltered during a crucial moment in the second set when she missed what should have been a routine overhead smash while leading. The error gave Anisimova a break opportunity, which she converted, but Sabalenka ultimately regrouped to close out the match in front of approximately 24,000 spectators.
Sabalenka entered the final having lost her previous two Grand Slam final appearances in 2025. She was runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January and fell to Coco Gauff at the French Open in June. Those defeats made her vulnerable to becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2006 to lose three major finals in a single season.
The match was played under Arthur Ashe Stadium’s closed roof due to rain, creating windless conditions that favored both players’ power-hitting styles. Anisimova, making her second Grand Slam final appearance after a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in July, showed significant improvement in her ability to compete at the highest level.
Statistical analysis revealed contrasting approaches: Anisimova recorded nearly twice as many winners (22-13) but also nearly twice as many unforced errors (29-15) compared to Sabalenka.
What People Are Saying
Aryna Sabalenka told reporters on Saturday: “I just let the doubt get into my head, but then I turned around and I took a deep breath in, and I was like, ‘OK. It happens. It’s in the past. Let’s focus on the next one.’”
Amanda Anisimova told reporters: “I truly really admire her. She puts in a lot of work, and that’s why she’s where she is. I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.”
Sabalenka on learning from previous defeats: “After French Open, I figured that, OK, 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.”
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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