Overcoming Doubt, Finding Deliverance: Six WTA takeaways from the 2025 US Open

Four Semifinalists: Overcoming Doubt, Finding Deliverance

For defending US Open champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka, 2025 had been a productive yet frustrating year—two losses in Slam finals, another in the semis, all of them three-set defeats at the hands of an inspired American. Facing Amanda Anisimova, who’d beaten her in the semis of Wimbledon, Sabalenka avenged that loss to earn a redemptive 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory. Largely absent were the emotional swings that have frequently surfaced during Sabalenka’s matches.

“Going into this final I decided for myself that I'm going to control my emotions,” she said after the final. “I'm not going to let them take control over me, and doesn't matter what happens in the match.”

Another fascinating aspect was how Sabalenka’s rarely seen or even necessary defensive skills helped her repeatedly track down Anisimova’s powerful drives and eventually extract an error. And, per usual, she hit plenty of forceful shots. It all added up to a fourth major singles title. Not since Serena Williams’ 2012-14 three-peat has a woman successfully defended a US Open singles title.

To think that just over two years ago, Anisimova was out of tennis, taking college classes. But now, having reached two straight Grand Slam finals, Anisimova is right in the thick of the career she appeared on the path to having after winning the US Open junior title in 2017. Despite ending up one victory short of a first singles major, Anisimova’s US Open run was glorious. Decide for yourself which of her victories was more significant—a quarterfinal win over Iga Swiatek, who’d double-bageled her in the Wimbledon final; or a dramatic comeback versus Naomi Osaka in the semis.

She was also certainly glad to have competed more effectively in the final. “I've tried to turn everything around for myself,” said after the final. “Obviously today was better than my last final, but yeah, again, today was a really tough match.”

How well Anisimova builds off her two Slam runs will surely be one of the more fascinating storylines for the balance of 2025 and into ’26.

Playing her best day-in and day-out tennis since winning the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka’s resurgent run to the semis showcased a highly effective mix of power and poise. This was most notable during her Labor Day, round of 16 win over Coco Gauff. Greatly aided by her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, Osaka throughout the tournament was both appropriately focused inside the lines and wise enough to view it with perspective and even humor.

Asked following her semifinal loss to Anisimova what her next Labubu doll would have been, Osaka said, “Oh, my God, the most devastating question. . . Honestly, I'm fine losing, but don't ask me about this Labubu, man.”

As is the case for Anisimova, Osaka’s next six months intrigue.

Having not gone past the round of 16 at a major this season, it would hardly have been surprising to see Jessica Pegula eliminated early at the US Open. It didn’t go that way at all. Reaching the semis without the loss of a set, Pegula took out a pair of two-time Slam singles winners, Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova. For the second year in a row, though, her New York campaign was ended by Sabalenka.

Following that match, Pegula said, “Considering where my summer started and how it was going, how it was trending, I'm happy to walk away with putting in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against, you know, the best player in the world right now.”

Week after week, akin to such accomplished grinders as David Ferrer and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Pegula continues to plug away and impress with her strong work ethic, clean ball-striking skills, and no-nonsense attitude towards competition.

Win A Slam, But Then Life is Tough

To win a major naturally increases expectations from all corners – including the player – that even more great results will happen. But the winners of this year’s first three majors all stumbled in the wake of capturing a big title.

In the three majors following her breakthrough run at the Australian Open champion, Madison Keys has only once reached the quarters (at Roland Garros) and in the first round of the US Open was beaten by 82nd-ranked Renata Zarazua.

“So I feel like it was a lot easier at the beginning of the year,” said Keys following that defeat, “because it's the start of the year, everything is fresh. And now I feel like there's been moments where you've been on the road longer, you've played a lot of matches, you haven't had a lot of days off. Those are kind of the days where things are just a little bit harder.”

Coco Gauff’s big win in Paris was followed by a first round exit at Wimbledon and a round of 16 loss in New York.

“It’s been a tough I think post-French Open for me for sure,” said Gauff, “I know the improvements that I need to make, and I feel like I'm making the right decision by making them.”

Surprise Wimbledon titlist Iga Swiatek lost in the quarters of the US Open.

Do these post-Slam victory outcomes speak to the depth of women’s tennis? The technical, tactical, and mental limits of each of these great players? There’s no way to clearly answer either question. But certainly, it makes one even more impressed by such legends as Chrissie Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, was runner-up another 16 times and reached the semis or better in 52 of the 56 majors she competed in. As for Sabalenka, she’s now made her way to the finals of four of her last five majors.

Paolini, Navarro, Raducanu: Feeling the Weight of Expectations?

Another trio who has fared well in recent years—new 2024 top tenners Jasmine Paolini and Emma Navarro, as well as 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu—exited early in New York. Seeded seventh, Paolini lost in the third round to disruptive Czech lefty Marketa Vondrousova by the discouraging score of 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Navarro, seeded tenth and a semifinalist at last year's US Open, was also beaten by another Czech, the versatile Krejcikova (whom she’d beaten at Wimbledon), in a tight three-setter. All year long, Navarro has struggled to find the form that brought her to the Top 10 in ’24.

Raducanu, who this year has begun to appear more focused, fit, and consistent, won only three games in a third round loss to ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina. In the wake of that defeat, though, she remained positive.

“Yeah, I think with me I want to train, like, a lot, and I practice quite a lot of hours,” said Raducanu, “but I think at the same time it can put a lot of wear on my body. So I think now I'm doing a good job. Pretty strong and fit overall for the most part. I'm not getting injured.”

Czechs Rule Stylistically—But Struggle on the Health Front

When it comes to stylistic eclecticism, no nation tops the Czechs. Celebrate the three who reached the quarters. The lefthanded Vondrousova is terrific at altering spins and paces, as seen in her masterful US Open wins over Paolini and Rybakina. Krejcikova has parleyed her brilliant doubles skills into a masterful all-court game and a Hall of Fame resume.

And then there’s Karolina Muchova, smooth, creative, and the best volleyer in women’s tennis since Ash Barty. Alas, the last eight was where it ended for each – and hardly on terms of enjoyment. Set to play Sabalenka in what was certain to be a vivid stylistic contrast, Vondrousova withdraw due to knee injury. Krejcikova, out for much of 2025 with a back injury, lost the first three games against Jessica Pegula and never recovered. And Muchova, despite staying close enough to Osaka to lose 6-4, 7-6 (3), was hindered by back issues. Might they consider jointly hiring a traveling medical team?

Taylor Townsend’s Brilliant Fortnight

What a US Open it was for Taylor Townsend. Ranked No. 139 at the start of the tournament, this 29-year-old lefthander’s all-court skills took her to two terrific wins: a brilliant straight-set dismantling of 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, followed up by a similar dispatching of fifth-seeded Mirra Andreeva. Be it with the consistency and power from the baseline that dominate contemporary tennis, or the rare ability to build points effectively moving forward, Townsend was dazzling. And when, following their match, Ostapenko aimed disparaging comments at Townsend, Townsend countered thoughtfully.

In one of the best matches of the tournament, Townsend in the round of 16 played inspired tennis versus Krejcikova. Eight times she stood one point away from advancing to the quarters in the singles of a major for the first time. But it was not to be.

“So I have everything that I need, and, you know, it's just about now just keep getting the reps, keep putting myself in these types of positions,” Townsend said following that match. “This hurts, but it's part of competition, it's part of sports, but I'm right where I need to be.”

Also, in the spirit of her stylistic role model, fellow lefty Martina Navratilova, Townsend excelled in doubles, pairing with Katerina Siniakova to reach the final. Autumn could offer a great opportunity for Townsend to earn many more ranking points and return to the Top 100 (her career-high of 46 came just prior to last year’s US Open).

Down-The-Line is the New Crosscourt

I’m likely late to the dance on this observation, but I need to think differently about the longstanding concept of redirection. For years, the phrase often went “absorb and redirect,” the implication being that pace was being taken off the incoming ball mid-rally in the manner of such nimble tacticians as Martina Hingis, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Ash Barty, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, and Daria Kasatkina.

But more than ever, this year’s US Open conclusively showed me that it’s possible to redirect and not just cleverly slow the speed of the rally, or even meet the ball firmly, but that it’s even logical to add pace to the ball—lots—and in the process vividly demonstrate why the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Look no further than the repeated thundering drives hit by Sabalenka, Anisimova, Osaka, Pegula, Gauff, and many others. Though the tennis court’s dimensions remain finite, increased skills have yet again forced players to cover more territory.