Aryna Sabalenka thunders to 2025 US Open title defense, defeats Amanda Anisimova

NEW YORK—Aryna Sabalenka stormed to her second straight title at the 2025 US Open on Saturday, the world No. 1 defeating Amanda Anisimova, 6-3, 7-6 (3) for her fourth career Grand Slam victory.

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The top seed overcame a strong performance the eighth-seeded American playing in her second consecutive major final, clinching her first major victory of the season with a 19th straight tiebreaker, after 94 minutes beneath the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.

Anisimova and Sabalenka last met two months ago at SW19, where the 24-year-old New Jersey native scored the biggest win of her career in the semifinals. For Sabalenka, it was a third straight defeat in the late stages of a major tournament, having finished runner-up at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this season.

She arrived to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center three weeks ago under pressure to end her season with a Grand Slam trophy and set to work against a tricky field, reaching the quarterfinals without dropping a set. Following a quarterfinal walkover from an injured Marketa Vondrousova, she put on a serving clinic in the semifinals, outlasting No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in a rematch of the 2024 final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Anisimova was under her own kind of pressure in New York, eager to erase the double-bagel defeat she endured to end her All England Club campaign. Playing her first major tournament as a Top 8 seed, she shook off a third-round challenge from Jaqueline Cristian to score the ultimate revenge on No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, blitzing her Wimbledon conqueror, 6-4, 6-3.

Armed with a 6-3 head-to-head advantage on Sabalenka that dates back to 2019, Anisimova began with stormy hitting as the rain continued outside, earning three break points in the opening game. Sabalenka saved all three and nabbed an early break of her own, only for Ansimova to hit through some early nerves to quickly bring the set back on serve.

Teeing off on first and second serves, Anisimova roared through three games in a row but another dip in form—perhaps exacerbated by complaints about Ashe Stadium’s lights—helped Sabalenka work her way back as the match hit the 30-minute mark.

A pair of double faults from Anisimova put Sabalenka five points from the set, the defending champion outrallying the American to go on a three-game streak of her own. Anisimova snapped a run of six points against her with a stunning return winner but Sabalenka was undaunted as she served her way to two set points. A 111 mile-per-hour first serve meant she only needed one, and Sabalenka was a set away from the title.

Anisimova’s serving struggles continued into the second set, the American dealing with double faults but digging out a hold thanks to a well-timed ace. Sabalenka remained steady and showed off her vastly improved defense two games later, earning a 15-40 lead on the Anisimova serve. Anisimova saved one with a clutch first serve but Sabalenka pulled off a clean backhand pass to change ends with a set and a break in hand.

Anisimova rediscovered her form just in time to prevent a double-break deficit and brought the crowd to its feet when she broke Sabalenka at love to level the set at three games apiece. Sabalenka weathered the storm once more to break straight back, putting herself two games from the title.

Serving to stay in the final, Anisimova bravely held on to force Sabalenka to serve for championship and kept swinging to open up a 0-30 lead off the return. A big serve and forehand from Sabalenka brought her back within two points of victory, but an audacious lob from Anisimova unnerved Sabalenka into an overhead miss. Anisimova caught fire from there, breaking back and swinging the momentum to get a game away from a decider

Sabalenka regrouped to instead force a tiebreaker, putting her streak of 18 straight Sudden Deaths—two in this tournament—on the line. Already down a mini-break, Anisimova's nerves appeared in full force when she struck a seventh double fault for Sabalenka to take a 5-1 lead at the change of ends.

Two points from the title once again, Sabalenka made no mistake this time, putting away a forehand to rack up five championship points. Anisimova saved two on her serve, but Sabalenka secured the win on her third, dropping to her knees in a mix of triumph, tears, and relief.

Improving to 29-3 at the US Open since 2021, Sabalenka earned $5,000,000 in prize money and rose back over 11,000 points in the WTA rankings, expanding her lead over No. 2 Swiatek to over 3,000 points.