By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 6, 2025
Photo credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty
NEW YORK—Close calls against American opponents haunted Aryna Sabalenka in Grand Slam play this season.
Pushed to a tense tiebreaker today, Sabalenka delivered a major photo finish to this US Open final.
Storming through her 19th straight tiebreaker win, Sabalenka stopped Amanda Aminisova 6-3, 7-6(3) to successfully defend her US Open championship and capture her fourth Grand Slam crown.
tennis express pro player gear
On her third championship point, Sabalenka whipped the wide serve to close a one hour, 34-minute triumph then dropped to her knees and absorbed the magic of the moment. The Belarusian’s team and coaches—Anton Dubrov and former US Open doubles champion Max Mirnyi—bounced up and down in joy in the support box.
World No. 1 Sabalenka scored a triple milestone posting her 100th major match win, becoming the first woman since the legendary Serena Williams (2012-2014) to successfully defend the US Open and collecting a Grand Slam record $5 Million champion’s check.
After heartbreaking major losses to Americans Madison Keys in the Australian Open final, Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final and Anisimova in the Wimbledon semifinals, Sabalenka was in no mood for consolation prizes today.
“All the tough lessons were worth this one,” said Sabalenka, 19-0 in tiebreakers since February. “I’m speechless right now.”
The top seed was two points from the title serving at 5-4, 30-all but tightened up and netted a smash from the service line. Anisimova exploited that lapse, broke back then held for 6-5.
Empowered by an excellent 20-1 tiebreaker record she carried into this breaker, Sabalenka solidified her status with another brilliant breaker performance.
As the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd erupted in support of the eighth-seeded American, a steely Sabalenka proceeded to press mute on the uprising and surged through six straight points for a 6-1 tiebreaker lead wreaking desolation on the drama. Sabalenka outclassed Anisimova in the breaker to take the title a year after her 7-5, 7-5 win over Jessica Pegula in the 2024 Flushing Meadows final.
Credit Anisimova, who was blown out in a double-bagel loss to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, for overcoming a sloppy first set and making a match of it in the second set.
Ultimately, Sabalenka’s big match experience, maturity, versatility and her mental game were too much for the sometime skittish home favorite. Anisimova has the powerful game to win a major—she must develop the match maturity and nerve to achieve it, but she’s on the path to doing it.
Still, Anisimova should hold her head high. After posting rousing US Open wins over six-time major winner Iga Swiatek and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and rising to a new career-high ranking of No. 4, Anisimova is clearly talented enough to win a Grand Slam title someday.
“It’s been a great summer to get to two finals in a row is great, but it’s also super hard,” Anisimova said. “I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.
“I just want to say congrats to Aryna, you are so incredible. I’m in awe of what you accomplished and you keep achieving incredible things. So congrats to you and your team you are amazing.
“Thank you everyone for coming out and supporting me at my home slam all of the two weeks. It’s been an incredible fortnight. It’s always been a dream of mine to play at the US Open.”
The 27-year-old Sabalenka scored her 50th career Top 10 win beating back-to-back American opponents and winning over many fans in the pro-American crowd with her efforts.
Though she’s the game premier power player, today Sabalenka won with precision. Anisimova nearly doubled Sabalenka’s unforced error total—29 to 15—and the Belarusian played pivotal points with greater care and clarity converting five of six break points.
The retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium was closed due to an early afternoon storm that rolled through the New York area.
The closed roof amplified resounding dynamite drives launched from both women’s racquets at the outset.
Contesting her seventh career Grand Slam final, Sabalenka was put under pressure immediately. Rocking backhand blasts, Anisimova earned three break points in the opening game.
Dropping to a squat at times to repel the American’s drives, Sabalenka saved all three break points to hold. When Anisimova sailed a drive beyond the baseline, Sabalenka scored the opening break for 2-0.
Power players were committed to the cause of first-strike tennis and Anisimova banged her backhand with vigor breaking twice in a row to edge ahead 3-2.
Playing her second straight Slam final, Anisimova lost the plot—and control of her shots. The American’s forehand was flying and her focus was fleeting.
Across the net, Sabalenka was all business breaking back at love in the sixth game. That big break sparked a surge that saw Sabalenka roll through 16 of 20 points to seize control.
Seeing the Freehold, New Jersey native’s struggle to keep the ball between the lines, Sabalenka wisely took some pace off and allowed Anisimova to implode in errors.
Anisimova committed three unforced errors as Sabalenka served out the 38-minute opener at 15. Anisimova committed 15 unforced errors—11 more than the the defending champion—in the opener as Sabalenka fired through four games in a row snatching the one-set lead.
Twenty-eight of the last 30 US Open women’s champions won the opening set.
Teetering on the ledge of a fourth break, Anisimova fought through a 13-point hold—the longest game of the match—and rapped a 102 mph ace down the middle for a 1-0 second-set lead.
Empowered by the one-set lead, Sabalenka stamped her first love hold to level the second set after two games.
Still, the American was bit by the error bug falling into a double-break point hole. A tame Sabalenka drop shot sat up, but the Belarusian read Anisimova’s reply and shoveled a clean pass down the line scoring her fourth break for a 3-1 lead and raising her Wilson racquet to her box in celebration.
The pair traded breaks in the sixth and seventh games.
Serving for her second straight US Open crown at 5-4, Sabalenka was two points from the title at 30-all when disaster struck.
Approaching behind a forehand, Sabalenka saw Anisimova flick a running lob. Back-pedaling to the service line, Sabalenka slapped a smash into the net. It was the second straight match where she netted a smash while serving for it—she made the same mistake against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Ripping a forehand down the line, Anisimova broke back for 5-all inciting a roar from the Arthur Ashe Stadium faithful.
The eighth seed held at 30 to snatch a 6-5 lead—her first lead since 1-0 of the second set.
Renowned for her power, Sabalenka’s mental strength propelled her through the tiebreaker. Sabalenka drained error after error from Anisimova and converted her third championship point with that crackling wide serve.
The woman who played much of this match on the front foot dropped to her knees joining legends Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters in defending the US Open.
Asked how she’s going to celebrate this fourth Slam title, Sabalenka told ESPN’s Sloane Stephens: “Oh girl, we gonna drink..You have to enjoy it.”
The Queen of Queens came to the right place to celebrate.