US Open: Sabalenka wins second straight title, defeats Anisimova

Aryna Sabalenka retained her US Open crown with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win over American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the women’s final on Saturday, underlining her claim as the modern queen of the hardcourt.

The Belarusian has not missed a hardcourt major final since 2022. Her latest trophy brings her Grand Slam haul to four, as she becomes the first woman to win back-to-back US Opens since Serena Williams claimed three consecutive titles from 2012 to 2014.

The battle between two of tennis’s hardest-hitting, biggest-serving women boiled down to unforced errors, as Sabalenka kept them down to 15 compared with 29 from her opponent.

“I want to thank everyone who came here, who flew in to be there in my box,” said Sabalenka, who fell to her knees after clinching the match with an un-returnable serve, and jumped up and down with her coaches in the stands in a scene of utter joy.

“I’m going to reach a lot more finals, and I don’t care where you are in the world, I want you in my box.”

Playing in only her second major final, New Jersey-born Anisimova had the partisan fans at the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium on her side, but could never hang onto the momentum.

“It’s been a great summer. Losing in two finals in a row is great, but it’s also super hard,” said 24-year-old Anisimova, who was left in tears yet again after the heartbreak of her 6-0, 6-0 drubbing in the Wimbledon final two months ago.

“I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.”

Sabalenka, 27, had ice in her veins as she saved three break points in a nervy first game, and Anisimova handed over the early break when she sent a shot past the baseline in the second.

Anisimova hit her stride when she won a 12-shot rally with a forehand winner out of Sabalenka’s reach to break back in the third game. The American went up a break as her opponent hit one beyond the baseline in the fifth.

The tiger-tattooed Belarusian prowled along the baseline in frustration and pounced on her chance to get the momentum back, breaking Anisimova to love in the sixth game and converting on another break point from the baseline in the eighth.

Sabalenka closed out the first set with an un-returnable serve, and sent a backhand whizzing past her opponent to convert on a break point in the third game of the second set.

Anisimova refused to give up as she levelled it in the sixth with a backhand winner of her own, whipping the fans into a frenzy. But the American party ended abruptly as their home hope sent the ball into the net on a break point in the seventh.

Anisimova stayed in it as Sabalenka helped her break back with a flubbed smash in the 10th game. But she buckled to the Belarusian’s power in the tiebreak, where Sabalenka sprinted through to victory.