Following a season marked by narrow defeats and disappointment at crucial moments, Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the US Open final with one last opportunity to claim the major title she believed she deserved.
Such a high-pressure situation could have fueled more tension, but Sabalenka’s remarkable career has been built on turning setbacks into lessons, no matter how difficult. This time, the top-ranked player remained unshaken, maintaining her focus during a late resurgence from Amanda Anisimova before securing her US Open victory with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.
As the world’s best player at the height of her abilities, Sabalenka continues to cement her place among the greatest of this generation. She now holds four major titles, tying her with Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Naomi Osaka, and Hana Mandlikova. Sabalenka has forged an era of supremacy on hard courts, winning two Australian Open and two US Open trophies. She has also reached six consecutive hard-court major finals.
From the outset, it was evident that this match between two of the sport’s most aggressive players would be a battle of firepower. Only the boldest, sharpest attacking play would prevail. After failing to convert an early break point and falling behind 2-0, Anisimova found her rhythm, sealing a fierce exchange with a precision forehand to pull back the deficit.
Once settling her nerves, Anisimova took control of the next two games, targeting Sabalenka’s second serve and striking winners with ease. However, inconsistency crept in as her errors mounted. Sabalenka capitalized on Anisimova’s shaky serving, dominating her second deliveries to claim four straight games and the first set.
While Anisimova’s high-risk shots often missed their mark, Sabalenka outpaced her with superior movement, resilience, and tactical intelligence. Though Anisimova briefly found inspiration—rallying from a second-set deficit to level at 3-3—Sabalenka swiftly reasserted dominance.
At the final moment, Anisimova summoned a last burst of brilliance. With Sabalenka two points from victory at 5-4, the Belarusian faltered at 30-30, misfiring an easy smash into the net. Seizing the chance, Anisimova fired a down-the-line forehand winner to break back.
Read next
Andreeva's French Open victory highlights the impact of Martínez and women coaches
Conchita Martínez was describing her player’s journey to a maiden grand-slam title when Mirra Andreeva interrupted. Accompanied by officials and a staff member holding the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, the new French Open champion entered the room to cause mischief.
Andreeva asked, “What is the best thing about working with Mirra
Lewis Hamilton confident he is nearing first victory with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton believes a victory for Ferrari is possible following his second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time champion is determined to pursue Kimi Antonelli, the current Formula One leader who secured another win in Monte Carlo.
Driving for Mercedes, Antonelli dominated the race, maintaining his lead through
Hodgkinson: Shock loss will fuel my pursuit of 800m world record this summer
In a dramatic event in Stockholm, Audrey Werro recorded the fastest 800m time seen since the Cold War era, defeating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson. Werro finished in 1min 53.98sec, marking the third fastest time in history. She now trails only Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1983 world record of 1:53.