It wasn’t Amanda Anisimova’s day on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as she lost another major final.
After Anisimova fell to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final last time out, she returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open with a point to prove.
Doing just that, Anisimova defeated Swiatek and Naomi Osaka in back-to-back matches, qualifying for her second major final in a row.
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Despite performing better than she did in the Wimbledon final, it still wasn’t quite enough, as Anisimova lost to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
Watching Anisimova fight back tears while tournament officials set up the stage for the trophy presentations, her former coach shared his thoughts on the post-match proceedings.
Marc Lucero says it was tough to see Amanda Anisimova ‘forced’ to watch Aryna Sabalenka celebrate
Speaking on US Open Radio, Anisimova’s former coach, Marc Lucero, had sympathy for the 24-year-old, who looked devastated while her opponent celebrated on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Tough to be out here too, to be forced to stay out while your opponent is celebrating,” he said.
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Post-match scenes are always strange, especially after finals, as the contrast of emotions between the two players is stark.
While Sabalenka enjoyed a hard-fought win, celebrating with her coaching team, Anisimova was left alone with her thoughts.
Lucero believes Anisimova would have been disappointed not to have played her best tennis in the final.
“[There will be] the disappointment of not feeling like you put your best foot forward for a second time,” he said.
“But I think you have to feel good with a little bit of perspective; it takes some time, obviously, to have perspective.
“But that’s what you have your team in place for.”
Anisimova started well in the US Open final, firing backhand winners at will, putting her Belarusian opponent under pressure.
She couldn’t keep it up, however, as those winners soon turned into unforced errors, allowing Sabalenka to take control.
It looked for a short while that Anisimova could fight back, when she brought the fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium to their feet, breaking Sabalenka while serving for the match.
Unfortunately, the errors cost her again in the tiebreak, with her seventh double fault proving particularly costly.
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For a player like Anisimova, who plays hard and aggressive tennis, the errors are always going to be high, but they were simply too high on Saturday.
Perhaps a more controlled approach could serve her well, should she return to a third Grand Slam final in 2026.
Amanda Anisimova’s next steps after losing US Open final
Anisimova will have to wait until next year for another shot at Grand Slam glory, but there’s still work to be done in 2025.
The American is set to make a swift return to action, playing a busy schedule in Asia over the coming months.
Amanda Anisimova’s upcoming tournamentsKorea Open (WTA 500) – Begins September 15China Open (WTA 1000) – Begins September 22Wuhan Open (WTA 1000) – Begins October 6
Anisimova will next appear at the Korea Open WTA 500 tournament, where she will compete as the number-two seed.
SeedNameCountryLive WTA Rank1Iga SwiatekPoland22Amanda AnisimovaUSA43Ekaterina AlexandrovaRussia114Clara TausonDenmark125Daria KasatkinaAustralia166Diana ShnaiderRussia197Veronika KuderemtovaRussia268Beatriz Haddad MaiaBrazil27Top eight seeds at the 2025 Korea Open
She’ll then head over to China for the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan.
Anisimova has yet to reach the quarterfinals of either tournament and has a 4-3 record across the two events.
The new world number four could potentially play either the Ningbo Open WTA 500 event or the Japan Open WTA 500 event afterwards, but may instead choose to rest up ahead of the WTA Finals.
Likely to qualify for the year-end finals for the first time in her career, Anisimova will want to give herself the best chance of finishing her season on a high note.
The 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will begin on Saturday, November 1.