Amanda Anisimova suffered another Grand Slam near miss at the US Open, losing her final to Aryna Sabalenka in New York.
Anisimova has been backed to win a Grand Slam, having now lost two finals, both of which took place this season.
Before her 6-3, 7-6(7-3) defeat to world number one Sabalenka, Anisimova lost 6-0, 6-0 to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.
Anisimova wants to “see the positives soon” after back-to-back Grand Slam final defeats, but such an attitude wasn’t exactly on display in her US Open runner-up speech.
Among her comments on court, the American said: “It’s been a great summer. Losing in two finals in a row is great but then it’s also super hard. I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.”
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesRennae Stubbs ‘didn’t like’ what Amanda Anisimova said after losing the US Open final
And former professional Rennae Stubbs has since taken exception to the final comment, saying on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast: “I didn’t like that she said she felt like she didn’t fight enough. I disagree with that.
“I think she handled it the best way that she could. She is only going to learn from the Wimbledon final and the US Open final.
“If you look back on that match in the final, the first game was massive. Anisimova had a bunch of break points. I think she even had 0-30 in that game.
“If she breaks and goes up 1-0 I think we have a completely different Amanda. I think we have a completely different possible outcome.
“Amanda has a winning record over Sabalenka and beat her previously at Wimbledon. So I know it’s different in a semi to a final, but I think her breaking serve there is so big. Instead she loses the game and then loses her own service game and then it’s 0-2.
“Don’t tell me that the Wimbledon final wasn’t entering your mind there at 0-2 down in front of 20,000 people who you know have paid maybe $10,000 for a ticket to be there for you.
“But I hope Amanda walks away from this and goes ‘lessons learned’. I don’t think she froze at the US Open, but she did at Wimbledon. She could not even pick up her feet, as she was that nervous.
“At the US Open she had moments and I think if she wins the second set we also might have a different outcome. The crowd were going nuts and she started to see it.
“Maybe she would have got the same feeling as she did against Naomi, so maybe if it goes three it was a different story.”
Amanda Anisimova’s 2025 Wimbledon and US Open results
Anisimova does indeed need to look back on her efforts in New York and indeed London and be very proud.
She knocked Sabalenka out of Wimbledon before losing to Swiatek, with the reverse scenario then playing out at the US Open.
WimbledonUS OpenRound 1Yulia Putintseva (W)Kimberly Birrell (W)Round 2Renata Zarazua (W)Maya Joint (W)Round 3Dalma Galfi (W)Jaqueline Cristian (W)Round 4Linda Noskova (W)Beatriz Haddad Maia (W)QuarterfinalAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova (W)Iga Swiatek (W)SemifinalAryna Sabalenka (W)Naomi Osaka (W)FinalIga Swiatek (L)Aryna Sabalenka (L)Amanda Anisimova 2025 Wimbledon and US Open results
Anisimova has also soared up the WTA rankings after her latest efforts, reaching a career-high of fourth in the world.
It’s been a superb season for the 24-year-old, who does indeed look very likely of finally getting over the line at Grand Slam level sooner rather than later.