U.S. Open 2025 women’s singles winner Aryna Sabalenka paid tribute to her opponent, Amanda Anisimova, after defeating her in the final.
The World No. 1 tennis star, 27, successfully defended the U.S. Open championship that she originally won last year at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, on Saturday, September 6, with a final score of 6-3 and 7-6 in straight sets. This historic victory made Sabalenka the first woman to defend her U.S. Open championship since Serena Williams in 2014.
Sabalenka dropped to her knees and let out a cheer after clinching victory, before graciously hugging Anisimova on the court. Sabalenka acknowledged Anisimova’s effort during an on-court interview moments later.
With her opponent standing feet away, the U.S. Open 2025 women’s champion told Anisimova: “Congrats Amanda on reaching back to back Slam final [Wimbledon and U.S. Open]. I know how much it hurts, losing in the final. But trust me, the moment you’re going to win the first one — and you are going to win it. You play incredible tennis!”
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“Congrats to you and your team on the things you’ve achieved after your comeback,” she added. “Girl, you’re gonna enjoy it even more after the tough losses in the final.”
In her own on-court interview, Anisimova told the crowd: “Losing in two final in a row is great but it’s also super hard. I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today but I just want to say congrats to Aryna.”
Anisimova, 24, has mounted a remarkable comeback after stepping away from the sport to focus on her mental health. Amanda initially kept playing following the death of her father and coach, Konstantin Anisimov, in 2019 but announced she was taking time off from tennis in 2023.
“I’ve really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,” Anisimova explained via Instagram in May 2023. “It’s become unbearable being at tennis tournaments.”
Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova after winning Women’s Singles Final match at US Open. Susan Mullane/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
She went on, “At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I’ve worked as hard as I could to push through it. I will miss being out there, and I appreciate all the continuous support.”
Ranked No. 50 worldwide in August 2024, she surged to No. 9 after first making it to the Wimbledon final in July — where she lost to Iga Świątek — and followed up with an impressive run in the U.S. Open, where she avenged her Wimbledon loss to Świątek in the quarterfinal this week.
While Anisimova and Sabalenka showed their respect for one another at the U.S. Open final on Saturday, they did have a testy exchange earlier in the year. The New Jersey native upset Sabalenka in the Wimbledon 2025 semifinal in July, though there was controversy during a game in the third set where Anisimova’s forehand volley touched the top of the net cord before falling over.
Sabalenka suggested in a post-match press conference that Anisimova owed her an apology for the error.
“I just looked at her and I just, for sure, she didn’t hear me, but I was just like, ‘You don’t want to say sorry?’ But she just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match. It’s on her,” Sabalenka admitted to reporters.
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Following her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 semifinal loss at Wimbledon, Sabalenka also complained that Anisimova prematurely celebrated a point and should have been docked by the referee.
“I was just trying to chase the ball. She was already celebrating it. I mean, that’s a bit too early,” Sabalenka insisted. “Then she kind of pissed me off, saying, ‘Oh, that’s what she does all the time.’ … I came back because I got really angry in that moment, probably in the third set [which she lost] I should have remembered that.”
At her own press conference, Anisimova attempted to downplay the dispute by clarifying that she was “not celebrating” the point prematurely.
“It was just like a long grunt, I guess,” she said in July. “I don’t really know what was the deal there to be honest because I didn’t feel like it was that interfering. I tried to not do it again.”
Meanwhile, Sabalenka secured her fourth Grand Slam championship with her victory over Anisimova during Saturday’s U.S. Open final.
“It’s just crazy,” she said in her post-match interview. “All those tough lessons [were] worth this one. I’m speechless right now. I love it here. I love the support. I like throughout the years [the fans and I] built a kind of relationship, and you guys give me so much support … Thank you guys for bringing the best atmosphere.”
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