NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka found herself just two points shy of clinching her second consecutive US Open title when a seemingly simple overhead smash turned into a blunder. As she backpedaled, the ball slipped through her fingers and into the net, granting Amanda Anisimova a break opportunity.
In the wake of that painful misstep on Saturday, Sabalenka dropped her racket on the vibrant blue court, a bittersweet smile creeping onto her face. Emotions reminiscent of her previous finals losses at the Australian Open in January and the French Open began to surge. She made a conscious effort to regain her composure.
“I allowed some doubt to creep into my mind,” Sabalenka confessed. “But then I took a deep breath, turned it around, and reminded myself that it’s done. Time to focus on what’s ahead.”
Was everything smooth sailing from that moment on? Not quite. “She broke me,” Sabalenka chuckled heartily. “I had to say, ‘Okay… time to reset.’”
It took another 15 minutes to seal the deal, but the No. 1 seed, Sabalenka, managed to hit the reset button—unlike in her earlier title matches this year—and ultimately knelt on the hallowed court of Arthur Ashe Stadium, hands covering her face, after defeating Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3). This victory made her the first woman to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows since the legendary Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014.
“I have immense respect for her,” said No. 8 seed Anisimova, the 24-year-old American who received rapturous support from the crowd of about 24,000. “Her dedication is palpable, and that’s what has propelled her to the top.”
Belarusian Sabalenka, now 27, secured her fourth Grand Slam title—all on hard courts—and dodged the unwanted history of becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2006 to lose three major finals in a single season.
Earlier this year, she was the runner-up to Madison Keys in the Australian Open and to Coco Gauff at the French Open.
Those past defeats served as valuable lessons for the final showdown.
“Post-Australian Open, I thought it was best to simply move on. But after the French Open, I realized it was time to reflect on those experiences,” Sabalenka remarked, appearing at her post-match press conference with a bottle of Champagne and a pair of stylish dark goggles atop her head. “I didn’t want the same patterns to keep repeating themselves.”
As Anisimova kept closing the gap and the crowd roared louder, Sabalenka focused on her own game.
When Anisimova fell behind 2-0, 30-love at the outset of Saturday’s match, some fans might have wondered: Would there be a repeat of the Wimbledon debacle? Anisimova’s first major final in July had ended with a shocking 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Swiatek.
But Anisimova turned things around, winning the next four points with breathtaking backhand and forehand winners. The crowd erupted, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she approached the sidelines. Soon enough, she found herself ahead 3-2.
Another potential setback for Sabalenka? Not this time. She regained her focus, winning the next four games to capture the set.
Persistent rain had prompted the closure of Ashe’s roof before the match, and the artificial lights shone brightly. This proved challenging for Anisimova, who struggled to track the ball during her serve tosses.
The environment also created still conditions—ideal for two powerful ball-strikers who could unleash their might. And that’s exactly what they did.
Some rallies were nothing short of stunning, eliciting gasps from the audience as both women displayed their striking power during longer exchanges. While the rewards were substantial, so were the risks, as Anisimova aimed for the lines with daring shots from both sides.
“I feel like I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today,” Anisimova said, her face buried in a towel after the match.
In fact, of Sabalenka’s first 13 points, only one was a personal winner, while she benefited from six unforced errors and six forced errors committed by Anisimova.
In the end, Anisimova notched nearly double the number of winners compared to Sabalenka, with 22 to 13, but also nearly double the unforced errors, too, tallying 29 to Sabalenka’s 15.
“There were two moments where I almost lost control,” Sabalenka reflected later. “But I reminded myself, ‘No, that’s not going to happen. It’s all good.’”
