Sabalenka Retains U.S. Open Crown with Straight-Set Win Over Anisimova
World No. 1 defeats Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) to become first woman to repeat at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams and claim her fourth major
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium to retain her U.S. Open title and claim her fourth Grand Slam singles championship.
The top-ranked player from Belarus produced a composed performance against the American eighth seed, absorbing periods of pressure and capitalizing on Anisimova's unforced errors to close out the match in straight sets. Sabalenka broke early momentum, took the first set 6-3 and withstood a late surge in the second before prevailing in the tiebreak.
Sabalenka lost only a handful of service games across the match and relied on aggressive baseline hitting to keep Anisimova on the defensive. After Anisimova rallied to 2-2 in the opening set with a string of sharp winners, recurring unforced errors allowed Sabalenka to seize the initiative and close the set. In the second, Anisimova elevated her level, breaking early and pressuring Sabalenka's serve, but the defending champion steadied and forced a tiebreak after saving a match point opportunity late in the set.
In the tiebreak, Sabalenka pulled ahead and converted her third championship point to seal the victory. She dropped to her knees on the court as the crowd at Flushing Meadows applauded the retention of her crown.
The win makes Sabalenka the first woman to successfully defend the U.S. Open singles title since Serena Williams, who won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. It also capped a season in which Sabalenka has been one of the WTA Tour's most consistent performers: she reached the latter stages at each major this year and advanced to the semifinals or better across the Grand Slam slate, reaching finals at the Australian Open and the French Open earlier in the season.
Sabalenka entered the tournament with the world No. 1 ranking and had needed only to reach the quarterfinals to retain that position; by advancing and ultimately winning, she preserved her standing at the top of the rankings. She dropped just one set during the fortnight at Flushing Meadows, underscoring a dominant run that saw her dispatch several top contenders en route to the final.
Anisimova, the 21-year-old New Jersey native, compiled a breakthrough run to reach the final, defeating higher-ranked opponents and drawing praise for her powerful groundstrokes and on-court poise. She opened the championship match aggressively, winning the first game and forcing Sabalenka into longer exchanges, and produced a number of impressive winners that tested the champion. But ill-timed errors and a failure to sustain pressure at critical junctions ultimately cost the American.
Sabalenka's repeat at the U.S. Open restores her status as the leading figure on the women's tour this season and ends the year’s majors with another Grand Slam title for the Belarusian. Tournament organizers and peers acknowledged the achievement as a rare back-to-back success at Flushing Meadows, and Sabalenka's victory closes the 2025 Grand Slam calendar with the top seed confirming her position at the summit of the sport.
Match statistics reflected the contrast in consistency: Sabalenka finished with fewer unforced errors and converted a higher percentage of break-point opportunities, while Anisimova's winners kept her in contention but were offset by miscues at pivotal moments. The result leaves Anisimova with her deepest Grand Slam run to date and positions her among a growing pool of American players making inroads at major events.
Sabalenka's focus will now turn to maintaining form as the tour moves into the indoor and late-season hard-court swing. For Anisimova, the performance at Flushing Meadows provides momentum and valuable major-final experience as she seeks to build on this breakthrough in the seasons ahead.