World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka etched her name deeper into tennis history on Sunday night at Flushing Meadows, successfully defending her US Open women’s singles crown with a dramatic 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Amanda Anisimova. The Belarusian, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win back-to-back titles in New York.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd witnessed a gripping final filled with momentum swings, powerful rallies, and high drama as Sabalenka held her nerve in a tense second-set tiebreak to close out the match. For the Belarusian, it was another defining moment on hard courts, where she now owns two US Open and two Australian Open titles.
The final began with Sabalenka stamping her authority early, breaking Anisimova’s serve to race into a quick lead. Anisimova, who had lost to Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals just two months earlier, steadied herself with aggressive hitting to level the set. But errors crept in at key moments, and Sabalenka’s firepower carried her to a 6-4 opening set.
In the second, the American raised her level, delighting the New York crowd with fearless winners and fighting back from 3-5 down. Serving under the closed roof proved tricky for Anisimova, who admitted afterward that the glare affected her ball toss. Still, she forced the set into a tiebreak.
But against Sabalenka’s record-breaking consistency under pressure, it wasn’t enough. The world No. 1 extended her remarkable run to 19 consecutive tiebreak wins, sealing the title with an unreturnable serve.
As Sabalenka collapsed in joy and celebrated with her team, Anisimova sat in tears on her bench. The 24-year-old American, who also lost the Wimbledon final this summer, will still rise into the world’s top four when new rankings are published.
“It’s been a great summer. Losing two finals is hard, but it shows how close I am,” Anisimova said. “I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.”
Sabalenka, meanwhile, was full of gratitude. “I want to thank everyone who came here, especially my team. We’ve been through a lot this season. I’m proud I could stay strong and win this title again,” she told the crowd.
Sabalenka’s victory marked her 100th career Grand Slam match win, a milestone she shares with Iga Swiatek, who reached the same mark at Wimbledon earlier this year. Her hard-court dominance since 2023 is unmatched: 39 wins and just 2 losses at major tournaments.
Tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Marion Bartoli praised Sabalenka’s composure, noting how she “played like a true champion” under immense pressure.
With her latest triumph, Aryna Sabalenka has not only defended her US Open crown but also reinforced her status as the queen of hard courts and the world’s most dominant player.
