6 September 2025
Anisimova turns the tide under the lights
Arthur Ashe Stadium didn’t empty until close to 1 a.m., and no one who stayed felt shortchanged. Amanda Anisimova clawed back from a set down and outlasted two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3, flipping a tense, high-quality semifinal with calm nerves and clean hitting when it mattered most.
The No. 8 seed started tight, missed early chances, and watched Osaka edge a first-set tiebreak with heavy first serves and a fearless forehand. But the match swung on inches and judgment. Anisimova changed her patterns, steadied the return, and took the air out of Osaka’s rhythm just enough to drag the contest into a second tiebreak. From there, she owned the big points.
When Osaka’s final forehand drifted wide, Anisimova threw up her hands, sank to her knees, and thumped the court. The celebration fit the moment. “Oh my god, it means the world,” she said on court. “I’m trying to process that right now. It’s just absolutely a dream come true. This has been a dream of mine, like, forever to be in the US Open final—and obviously, the hope is to be the champion.”
The night carried extra weight for the American after a bruising 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Swiatek earlier in the summer. That result became a line in the sand. Since then, she has sharpened her serve locations, cut down rushed errors on the forehand, and leaned into first-strike tennis without forcing it. The blend showed on Ashe.
Osaka, seeded 23rd and pushing back into the sport’s top tier, flashed her old power in streaks. She took the opener by striking first in rallies and smothering second serves. When she surged, the ball hit through the court like it used to in her title runs. But the second set didn’t tilt her way. Anisimova absorbed pace, played deeper to the corners, and got just enough first serves in to keep Osaka off balance.
The second-set tiebreak told the story. Anisimova stepped forward on returns, found a couple of backhands up the line, and refused to blink. She won it 7-3, and the night suddenly felt different. Osaka still fought—she saved two match points later—but the momentum had turned and wouldn’t swing back.
- She varied her serve placement, especially out wide, to open the court early.
- On returns, she moved a step in and took the ball earlier to neutralize Osaka’s first strike.
- She targeted Osaka’s backhand corner more often, then switched direction to the forehand when Osaka shaded that way.
- In long rallies, she played heavier cross-court forehands to buy time, then pounced on short balls.
The third set played out like a slow squeeze. Anisimova secured the key break and kept her shape on serve. She didn’t go for too much; she made Osaka play a shot more, and often that extra shot drew an error. The former world No. 1 kept swinging, erased those two match points with gutsy hitting, and lifted the crowd back into it. But on the next opening, Anisimova locked in and closed the door.
For Osaka, this was a hard loss wrapped in promising signs. The first-step quickness looked better. The serve got her out of trouble. The forehand dictated plenty of rallies. What’s missing is match repetition in the tightest moments. That usually comes only with more late-round matches like this one. She’s not far.
For the American, the evolution is mental as much as tactical. Earlier in her career, one bad service game could snowball. Now, she absorbs it and resets. After that summer drubbing by Swiatek, she and her team zeroed in on two things: building patience into her baseline patterns and trusting her first serve under pressure. The second-set tiebreak was a snapshot—no rush, no panic, just measured aggression.
The Ashe crowd, a character in its own right, gave her that extra jolt. Late-night New York matches can be messy—nerves, humidity, noise—but they can also lift a player who rides the energy well. Anisimova did. She stayed present between points, took extra time on big serves, and used the roars as a cue to breathe, not to overhit.
The numbers behind this kind of win aren’t complicated. She didn’t need fireworks; she needed margins. Deeper returns to toes. Less flirtation with the lines. A higher first-serve percentage in the second and third sets. And when she got a look at a second serve, she treated it like a chance to start ahead, not finish the point immediately.
Sabalenka awaits—and the margins get thinner
Standing between Anisimova and a maiden major is world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who outlasted No. 4 Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day. That matchup will be all about first strikes and control of the center of the court. Sabalenka brings the tour’s heaviest pace off both wings and a serve that can run off with sets. Anisimova brings cleaner shapes, a steadier backhand, and a knack for turning defense into offense without forcing low-percentage shots.
There are a few keys for the final:
- Return depth: If Anisimova pushes Sabalenka’s first ball back deep, she can avoid starting every point on the stretch.
- Second-serve pressure: Sabalenka’s second serve can wobble under stress. Early, aggressive returns could flip games fast.
- Error management: Both will miss when they swing big. The one who trims the damage in clusters—especially after deuce—will own the middle of the sets.
- Serve variety: Kick wide, body serves, and pace changes can disrupt timing and stop Sabalenka’s groove.
Form matters, but so does timing. Anisimova arrives with a string of tough, late-night reps and a reminder of how far she’s come since that summer low point. She’s been playing with clearer patterns, better balance, and a willingness to take the short ball early rather than step back and rally. If that holds, she’ll give herself looks.
For Sabalenka, the challenge is different from Pegula’s. She won’t get as many rhythm rallies. She’ll need to create with the forehand and accept that Anisimova can match pace on a good day. Expect Sabalenka to test the forehand corner and drag Anisimova wide to open the backhand line. Expect Anisimova to reply by taking time away on the return and making the world No. 1 hit a second or third shot under pressure.
However it unfolds, the US Open is getting a final with clear contrast—power vs. precision, blast vs. balance, all on the biggest stage in the sport. Anisimova earned her slot the hard way, chasing down a deficit, handling a surging champion, and closing at an hour when minds wander. She didn’t flinch. On Saturday, she won’t have much room to. That’s the point. The margins are thin, and that’s exactly where she has learned to live.
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