Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open title with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Amanda Anisimova in New York. The world number one claimed her fourth Grand Slam trophy, drawing level with Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Naomi Osaka and Hana Mandlikova.
The Belarusian displayed remarkable composure throughout the final, particularly when Anisimova fought back in the second set. After a nervous start, Anisimova began to find her rhythm with powerful groundstrokes, breaking Sabalenka when she served for the match at 5-4. However, Sabalenka responded by winning a faultless tie-break, extending her remarkable run of 19 consecutive tie-break victories dating back to February.
Sabalenka's victory was built on disciplined and intelligent tennis, contrasting with her opponent's error-prone game. She maintained pressure with her first-strike approach while playing with greater margin, and crucially kept her emotions in check during the tense closing stages. The win was especially significant after she lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open final and to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final earlier this season.
“I knew that the hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a grand slam title this season,” Sabalenka said. “It means a lot to defend this title and to bring such great tennis on court. And to bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot. I’m super proud right now of myself.”
Sabalenka has now reached six consecutive Grand Slam finals on hard courts, establishing an era of dominance on the surface. Her fourth major title places her among the greats of the game, and she will head to the WTA Finals in Riyadh as the player to beat.
