It was heartbreak for Amanda Anisimova again, losing her second-straight Grand Slam final.
After Anisimova lost 0-6, 0-6 in the Wimbledon final, she returned to the championship match in New York.
Taking on world number one Aryna Sabalenka, the odds were stacked against Anisimova, but she looked up to the challenge.
Performing far better than she did on Centre Court two months ago, Anisimova looked formidable early on, hitting backhand winners at will.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
She failed to maintain that level, however, as Sabalenka clinched the first set 6-3, when unforced errors crept into the 24-year-old’s game.
Despite a late fightback in the second, breaking when the Belarusian was serving for the match, it wasn’t to be, as Anisimova lost to Sabalenka in the final 3-6, 6-7.
Reacting to the American’s second Grand Slam final defeat in as many months, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has predicted whether she will ever win a major title.
Marion Bartoli says Amanda Anisimova will win a Grand Slam ‘without a doubt’
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, 2013 Wimbledon winner Bartoli shared her thoughts on Anisimova.
“Let’s not forget the level of play she was able to have over [Iga] Swiatek and Naomi Osaka, it was incredible,” she said.
2025 US Open QF – Amanda Anisimova defeated Iga Swiatek, 6-4, 6-32025 US Open SF – Amanda Anisimova defeated Naomi Osaka, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
“Everyone who witnessed those semifinals, the level of play from those four ladies was incredible.
“The problem is that the Grand Slam is seven matches and not six, but it’s her second final of a Grand Slam, so you can only learn from that. It’s a step towards what she wants to achieve.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
“She is an incredible ball striker. She will improve, most likely on her serve as well, which today let her down a little bit.
“But she will come back without a doubt, and she will lift a Grand Slam trophy without a doubt as well.”
Bartoli highlighted the serve as an area of weakness for Anisimova, but how much of a problem was it during the final?
PlayerAcesDouble faults1st Serve %Win % on 1st ServeWin % on 2nd ServeAmanda Anisimova4758%59%48%Aryna Sabalenka1265%60%68%Serving stats from the 2025 US Open final
Anisimova trailed Sabalenka in four of the five key serving categories: double faults, first serve percentage, win percentage on first serve, and win percentage on second serve.
The seven double faults were particularly costly, with the seventh coming at the worst possible moment, during the second set tiebreaker.
Making the error, Anisimova gave Sabalenka the buffer she needed to close things out, converting her third championship point.
Now 0-2 in Grand Slam finals, there’s work to be done for Anisimova if she wants to get her hands on a major title.
What’s next for Amanda Anisimova after US Open final defeat?
Not one to sulk after a defeat, Anisimova is set to make a swift return to WTA Tour action at the Korea Open in Seoul.
She’ll compete as the number-two seed when the WTA 500 event begins the Monday after next.
Top eight seeds at the 2025 Korea Open1. Iga Swiatek2. Amanda Anisimova3. Ekaterina Alexandrova4. Clara Tauson5. Daria Kasatkina6. Diana Shnaider7. Veronika Kudermetova8. Beatriz Haddad Maia
Anisimova will be expected to make a deep run in South Korea, with fans hoping to see her meet Poland’s Swiatek in the final.
The pair have played one another twice this year, with their head-to-head level at one apiece.
Swiatek won their first match, dominating the American in the Wimbledon final, before Anisimova got her revenge in the US Open quarters.
It remains to be seen if they will meet again in Korea, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for when the tournament begins on Monday, September 15.
Amanda Anisimova reaches career-high ranking
When she travels to Korea, she’ll do so as the new world number four, reaching a career-high ranking thanks to her US Open exploits.
RankNameCountryAgePoints1Aryna SabalenkaBelarus2711,2252Iga SwiatekPoland247.9333Coco GauffUSA217,8744Amanda AnisimovaUSA245,1595Mirra AndreevaRussia184,7936Madison KeysUSA304,5797Jessica PegulaUSA314,3838Jasmine PaoliniItaly294,0069Qinwen ZhengChina224,00310Elena RybakinaKazakhstan263,833WTA Rankings – Monday, September 8
Trailing her fellow American Coco Gauff by over 2,500 points, Anisimova has a clear target to aim for, as she looks to break into the world’s top three.
She is also now in a great position to qualify for the year-end WTA Finals, an event at which she has yet to appear during her tennis career.
The WTA Finals will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and begin on Saturday, November 1.