Aryna Sabalenka wins second straight U.S. Open title, defeats Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3)

Aryna Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) Saturday to claim her second consecutive U.S. Open title, prevailing in a match that featured a late wobble but ended with the top seed composing herself to close out the straight-sets victory.

Sabalenka was two points away from the championship when a routine overhead putaway slipped into the net while she was backpedaling, handing Anisimova a break chance and prompting a visible reaction from the champion. After dropping her racket on the blue court and flashing a rueful smile, Sabalenka said she felt familiar doubts creep in but forced herself to regroup.

"I just let the doubt get into my head," Sabalenka said. "But then I turned around and I took a deep breath in, and I was like, 'OK. It happens. It's in the past. Let's focus on the next one.'" She was broken shortly thereafter, she said, but managed to "reset" and complete the victory roughly 15 minutes later when she sealed the second-set tiebreak 7-3.

The win on Arthur Ashe Stadium marked a successful defense of the U.S. Open crown for the No. 1-seeded Sabalenka, who knelt on the court afterward and covered her face with her hands. Anisimova, who forced the late break opportunity and extended the match to a tiebreak, fell short of pulling off an upset against the top seed.

Sabalenka's composure in the closing stages contrasted with her experiences earlier this season, when losses in Grand Slam finals at the Australian Open in January and at Roland Garros tested her ability to finish under pressure. Saturday's match underlined her capacity to recover from in-match setbacks and close out a major title match in straight sets.

Both players produced high-level rallies throughout the contest on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, but it was Sabalenka's ability to steady herself at crunch time and convert key points in the tiebreak that decided the championship. The result adds a consecutive U.S. Open title to Sabalenka's trophy haul and cements her standing at the top of the women's game as she begins the next chapter of the season.