2025 US Open final – Amanda Anisimova one step from ultimate redemption
Anisimova has proven resilience since she took a mental health break in 2023, putting herself first and coming back even stronger. It has since been a year of firsts for the 24-year-old: a maiden WTA 1000 title in February, a first Grand Slam final in July and now a debut US Open championship match.
The eighth seed, who will rise to world number four after the tournament, has produced two statement performances at Flushing Meadows. Her quarter-final triumph against Iga Świątek quelled the Wimbledon trauma, while semi-final success over Naomi Osaka was a masterclass in the psychological game.
“It means the world,’’ Anisimova said in her on-court interview upon reaching the final. “I’m trying to process that right now. It’s just absolutely a dream come true. It has been a dream of mine like forever to be in the US Open final, and obviously the hope is to be the champion. But I’m in the final now and I’ll try to get ready.’’
This tournament is already an accolade in its own right for Anisimova, whose previous best result at the US Open was the third round. She will also fancy herself against Sabalenka, holding a superior head-to-head record, including a win in their most recent match at Wimbledon.
The 24-year-old is the first American woman since Sofia Kenin in 2020 to reach two major singles finals in the same year. That year, Kenin won one final and lost the other, something Anisimova will look to replicate at Arthur Ashe Stadium.