Aryna Sabalenka defends US Open crown, defeats Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 for $5 million
World No. 1 secures fourth Grand Slam and becomes first to repeat at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams
Aryna Sabalenka completed a successful title defence at the US Open on Saturday, beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 to claim the championship and a record $5 million in prize money.
The world No. 1 from Belarus closed out the straight-sets victory after an intense second set that saw her miss a chance to serve out the match before producing a composed tiebreak to seal the win. The 27-year-old captured her fourth Grand Slam title and became the first player to defend the US Open women’s singles crown since Serena Williams in 2014.
Sabalenka took control early, breaking Anisimova to build a 6-3 opening set. The American, 24, fought back in the second, and with the crowd rallying behind her, forced late drama when Sabalenka was unable to convert a match point on serve. In the decisive tiebreak, Sabalenka delivered precise serving and aggressive shot-making to close out the championship in straight sets.
Anisimova, who reached her second Grand Slam final, had sought partial redemption after a one-sided loss at Wimbledon earlier this year. She will finish the tournament as runner-up for the second consecutive major.
The victory caps off Sabalenka’s most consistent season at the majors. Earlier in the year she lost the Australian Open final to Madison Keys and was defeated by Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, but she reached the pinnacle at Flushing Meadows when it mattered most. Her fourth major places her behind her chief rival Iga Swiatek by two Grand Slam titles.
Tournament records were altered by the prize pot: the champion’s payday of $5 million was the largest in US Open history. Sabalenka’s performance in New York underscored her position at the top of the women’s game this season and extended a run of results that included multiple deep runs at major events.
Anisimova, one of the younger finalists in the draw, produced resilient tennis throughout the tournament to reach the final and briefly threatened to force a decisive third set. She will gain ranking points and experience from the run, and her play at the hard-court major highlighted her progression since earlier difficult defeats on the biggest stages.
Organisers and commentators noted the rarity of a successful title defence at the US Open in the modern era of women’s tennis, where the championship has frequently changed hands. Sabalenka’s straight-sets victory, secured by a composed tiebreak, ended that recent pattern and affirmed her status as the tour’s leading player heading into the remainder of the season.