Amanda Anisimova was looking to perform better in her second Grand Slam final than she did in her first…
Earlier this year, Anisimova lost 0-6, 0-6, to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, suffering one of the most devastating defeats in modern Grand Slam history.
Bouncing back in remarkable fashion, Anisimova qualified for the US Open final just two months later, securing a revenge win over Swiatek along the way.
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Standing between Anisimova and the US Open title was the world number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who set foot on Arthur Ashe Stadium with a point to prove, having already lost two Grand Slam finals in 2025.
Improving her record to 1-2, Sabalenka defeated Anisimova 6-3, 7-6, retaining her US Open crown in style.
Anisimova played much better than she did in the Wimbledon final, but seemed frustrated throughout the match.
During her post-match press conference, Anisimova explained what was wrong, revealing what she noticed during the warm-ups.
Amanda Anisimova realized she couldn’t see the ball when serving during her warm-up
At various points throughout the match, Anisimova was seen complaining about the lights above the court.
During a changeover, the American star asked the chair umpire if anything could be done, but was disappointed to be told that she would just have to adjust.
In her post-match press conference, Anisimova explained how much of an impact the lights had on her serving.
“I haven’t played on the court during the day with the roof closed; it was literally white,” she said.
“I couldn’t see the ball when I was serving, the whole match.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
“I think, starting from the warm-up, I was thinking this is going to be a real problem for me. And I didn’t know what to do, there was no way of adjusting because I could not see the ball when I was serving, and that was a huge shock to my system because I knew if I couldn’t hold my serve, it was going to be very tough to stay in the match.”
The American struggled to hold serve in the US Open final and was broken by Sabalenka on five occasions.
PlayerAcesDouble faultsBreak points1st Serve %Win % on 1st ServeWin % on 2nd ServeAmanda Anisimova474/7 (57%)58%59%48%Aryna Sabalenka125/6 (83%)65%60%68%Serving stats from the 2025 US Open final
Anisimova didn’t want to blame the lights for her defeat, but admitted she found the situation frustrating.
“Of course, now I know that, and that’s something I can bring into other tournaments if I have to experience that again, but it was extremely frustrating for me,” she said.
“I mean, I was not expecting that at all, and that made my serving today very, very difficult.”
Those serving struggles contributed to a second Grand Slam final defeat for Anisimova.
She now joins an exclusive club of WTA players who have lost multiple Grand Slam finals without winning a title.
Multiple-time losing Grand Slam finalists
Three (non-retired) other players in the women’s game have played and lost multiple Grand Slam finals.
Karolina Pliskova2016 US Open – LOSS v Angelique Kerber2021 Wimbledon – LOSS v Ash BartyOns Jabeur2022 Wimbledon – LOSS v Elena Rybakina2022 US Open – LOSS v Iga Swiatek2023 Wimbledon – LOSS v Marketa Vondrousova
Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty ImagesJasmine Paolini2024 French Open – LOSS v Iga Swiatek2024 Wimbledon – LOSS v Barbora Krejcikova
Hoping to remove her name from this list, Anisimova will look to win the title in Melbourne when she returns to Grand Slam action in 2026.
The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 12.