Can Aryna Sabalenka Defend Her Crown Against Anisimova?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open title.
- Sabalenka becomes the first woman since Serena Williams to achieve this feat.
- This victory marks Sabalenka's fourth Grand Slam title.
- Amanda Anisimova is projected to break into the Top 5 WTA Rankings.
- The match showcased high-level competitive tennis.
New York, Sep 7 (NationPress) Aryna Sabalenka has firmly established herself as the world’s premier player by triumphing over Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-3, 7-6(3), thus securing her second consecutive US Open title. This victory makes Sabalenka the first female athlete to successfully defend her singles title at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2014.
The top seed and reigning champion exhibited a commanding and composed performance against the eighth-seeded American, marking her first Grand Slam title of the 2025 season and the fourth major title of her illustrious career. Additionally, it was her 100th career Grand Slam main-draw victory and her 56th win of the season, the highest on tour this year.
Having reached the finals at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year but falling short on both occasions, Sabalenka broke through with a determined and emotionally charged display on Saturday, overcoming a spirited challenge from Anisimova, who was competing in her second consecutive Grand Slam final.
The opening set was marked by five service breaks between the two players, with Sabalenka ultimately taking control. She broke Anisimova for the third time to lead 5-3 and closed out the set minutes later when Anisimova missed a forehand wide.
In the second set, Sabalenka seemed ready to finish the match while serving at 5-4, but a missed overhead at 30-all allowed Anisimova to break back and extend the set to a tiebreak. However, Sabalenka responded with remarkable composure, dominating the tiebreak from the outset and clinching victory on her third championship point.
Anisimova, who had previously defeated Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this year, entered the match with a 6-3 advantage in their head-to-head record but was unable to secure a win this time. Despite the defeat, the American is expected to break into the Top 5 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time.