US Open: Aryna Sabalenka defends crown with win over Anisimova
The triumph also marked her 100th career Grand Slam main-draw win and her 56th victory of the year — more than any other player on tour
Under the bright lights of Flushing Meadows, Aryna Sabalenka etched her name into history, fending off Amanda Anisimova with power and poise to claim a second straight US Open crown.
On Saturday, Sabalenka defeated eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to win her crown. With the victory, she became the first woman to successfully defend the singles title at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2014.
The top seed produced a commanding yet composed display to secure her first Grand Slam title of the 2025 season and the fourth major of her career. The triumph also marked her 100th career Grand Slam main-draw win and her 56th victory of the year — more than any other player on tour.
Sabalenka had fallen short in the Australian Open and Roland Garros finals earlier this season, but in New York she delivered a determined, emotionally charged performance to overcome Anisimova, who was contesting her second consecutive major final.
The match began with five service breaks in the opening set before Sabalenka seized control, breaking Anisimova for a third time to move ahead 5-3 before serving it out. In the second set, Sabalenka seemed ready to close the contest at 5-4, but a missed overhead at 30-all allowed Anisimova to break back and level the set. Unfazed, the Belarusian surged through the tiebreak, clinching the championship on her third match point.
Despite holding a 6-3 head-to-head record over Sabalenka entering the final — including a semifinal victory at Wimbledon earlier this year — Anisimova was unable to replicate that success. Still, her run ensures a career milestone, as she is projected to break into the Top 5 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time.
With IANS inputs