Sabalenka Secures Back-to-Back US Open Titles, Defeats Anisimova in Thrilling Final
NEW YORK – Aryna sabalenka claimed her second consecutive US Open title on Saturday, overcoming a resilient Amanda Anisimova in a hard-fought match. Sabalenka’s victory solidifies her position as a dominant force in women’s tennis and will elevate her to No. 4 in the PIF WTA Rankings.
Despite Anisimova entering the match with a 6-3 head-to-head record against Sabalenka, the Belarusian dictated play, capitalizing on break-point opportunities and minimizing her own errors. Sabalenka converted five of six break points throughout the contest.
Anisimova, known for her aggressive, all-or-nothing style, struggled with consistency, finishing with 29 unforced errors compared to 22 winners.Sabalenka adopted a more conservative approach, recording 13 winners and 15 unforced errors, including only a single ace.
The match featured numerous momentum shifts. After dropping the first two games, anisimova battled back, winning a crucial game with a fierce forehand down-the-line winner. She briefly regained control, breaking Sabalenka’s serve twice to level the first set at 3-all. Though, Sabalenka responded with a break of her own and ultimately won the final four games of the set.
The second set saw continued back-and-forth action, with both players holding serve early on. Sabalenka secured a break at 3-all, but Anisimova refused to concede, breaking back to level the set once more. Facing match point while serving at 5-4, Anisimova fought off one prospect and forced Sabalenka into a tiebreak. Sabalenka ultimately closed out the match, converting her third match point when anisimova’s service return missed.
“I’m in awe of what you’ve accomplished,” Anisimova said to Sabalenka during the trophy ceremony. “Congratulations to you and your team, you guys are amazing.”
anisimova acknowledged the journey to the final, stating, “It’s been a crazy, crazy journey.” The loss marked the continuation of a troubling pattern for Anisimova in major finals, having lost all 14 games across the two major finals of her career.
Sabalenka’s victory aligns with a strong historical trend at the US Open, where 28 of the past 30 women’s champions have won the opening set.
