(No. 1) Aryna Sabalenka def. (No. 8) Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3)

After two heartbreaking losses in Grand Slam finals earlier this year and a semifinal loss at Wimbledon to Amanda Anisimova, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka finally broke through again, successfully defending her US Open title with a straight-sets win over Anisimova on Saturday night.

With the win, Sabalenka became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win back-to-back US Open titles. She also avoided the distinction of becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2006 to lose three major finals in the same season. The win marked her fourth career Grand Slam title.

Both players, two of the tour’s best ball strikers, produced heavy-hitting exchanges throughout the final. Sabalenka appeared on course for a routine win in the second set when she broke Anisimova’s serve twice and was serving for the match at 5–4. Just two points away from victory, she had a chance to move even closer with a routine overhead, but sent it into the net. Anisimova capitalized, broke back, and forced a tiebreak.

In the decider, Sabalenka regained control. She dominated the tiebreak, needing three match points before sealing the win as Anisimova’s return sailed long. Statistically, Anisimova actually struck more winners—22 to Sabalenka’s 13—but the American also committed 29 unforced errors compared to just 13 for the world No. 1, which proved decisive.

For Anisimova, the runner-up finish capped a season of resurgence. Less than two years after stepping away from the sport for mental health reasons, the 24-year-old won the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, reached her first grass-court final at Queen’s Club, and made her maiden major final at Wimbledon, where she lost to Iga Swiatek. Along the way, she made her top-10 debut and will now rise to a career-high No. 4 in the WTA Rankings. In New York, Anisimova put together a deep run, defeating Swiatek in the quarterfinals and outlasting Naomi Osaka in a dramatic semifinal to reach her second consecutive major final.

Sabalenka had held the No. 1 ranking all season, yet arrived in New York still searching for her first major title of 2025 after falling in the Australian Open final to Madison Keys and the French Open final to Coco Gauff. Saturday’s win delivered her 100th career Grand Slam main-draw victory, extended her tour-leading win total to 56 on the year, and cemented her dominance on hard courts.

All four of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, split evenly between the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the US Open in 2024 and 2025. She is now the fifth player in the Open Era to claim her first four major titles on the same surface.