Tennis star, Aryna Sabalenka has successfully defended her US Open women’s title, defeating Amanda Anisimova in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to claim back-to-back championships.
With this win, Sabalenka becomes the first woman to achieve consecutive US Open victories since Serena Williams’ three-peat from 2012 to 2014.
The match saw a shift from their usual dynamics. Sabalenka, who has sometimes let her emotions affect her play, faced early challenges as her serve didn’t dominate as expected.
Anisimova moved swiftly across the court, covering Sabalenka’s shots and testing her composure.
But Sabalenka stayed calm, adjusting her game strategically. Instead of relying solely on power, she introduced finesse, using well-placed drop shots to disrupt Anisimova’s rhythm.
Initially, Anisimova’s powerful forehands and precise placement seemed to put her in control, as she forced Sabalenka to scramble for difficult returns.
As the match progressed, it was Anisimova who began to falter. Errors crept in, shots that previously landed just inside the lines now sailed out of bounds, and her serve repeatedly found the net.
By the end, Anisimova had committed 29 unforced errors compared to just four from Sabalenka, a gap that largely determined the outcome.
Playing under the closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium due to rain, Anisimova had hoped the crowd support might give her an edge. Instead, she struggled with the lights, which reportedly distracted her during serves.
Sabalenka’s dominance was especially evident in tiebreaks. Trailing 6-5 in the second set after Anisimova won three games in a row, Sabalenka held her nerve. She delivered a pinpoint serve and exploited Anisimova’s mistakes to clinch the set, extending her near-perfect tiebreak record to 21-1.
With this triumph, Sabalenka joins an elite group as the 10th woman to win consecutive US Open titles, a list that includes legends such as Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, and Serena Williams.
