Osaka knocked out of US Open; Sabalenka to play Anisimova in final

Amanda Anisimova won the US Open final 6-4, 7-6, 6-3, to take on Aryna Sabalenka, who has already lost four sets to Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka, who is now defending her first major title.

“Oh, my God,” The 24-year-old said on Thursday after winning her first final at Flushing Meadows, “it means the world”.

“I’m attempting to process that right now. Absolutely a dream come true. I’ve wanted to live in the US for a long time. Open final with the goal of winning.

Osaka, the other US Open champion, enjoyed the big game in Arthur Ashe Stadium’s prime-time glare as she entered her first major semifinal since 2021.

In a tight opening set, the pair twice exchanged breaks, and Osaka refocused and roared when Anisimova hit a shot into the net on set point in the tiebreak following a delayed line call from the automated system.

However, Anisimova’s intensity was on par with that of Osaka’s as the 23rd seed struggled to carry the momentum forward in the following set.

After the players exchanged vicious hits for 12 games in the next set, Anisimova slammed into the tiebreak to end the game.

The eighth seed, who defeated Iga Swiatek 6 / 6 6-0 in the Wimbledon final two months ago, held on to her nerve until the win was over and made it back to Grand Slam finals.

She really made me want to run for the final. I wasn’t sure if I made it past the finish line. I made an effort to find more. There was a lot of fighting going on, Anisimova continued.

“I made an effort to remain optimistic. I’m working on that because there were a lot of nerves in the beginning. Yes, I think that was really getting to me because this tournament means a lot to me.

You’re just trying to survive, you’re in the end. I’m making an effort to enjoy the moment. When we were both playing incredible tennis, we would sometimes think, “How are we making these shots?” but we continued to be who we were.

Back-to-back dreams are kept alive by Sabalenka.

In a three-set victory over American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, reigning champion Sabalenka defeated fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, who had already lost.

In a repeat of the final from the previous year, Sabalenka defeated Pegula 4-6, 6-3, and 6-4.

The Belarusian will make its third consecutive Flushing Meadows final appearance.

She played incredible tennis as usual, and I had to work really hard to get this win, Sabalenka said.

I’m so happy to be back in the final, and I’m hoping to make it all the way.

Sabalenka, 27, wants to become the first woman to have won three straight New York singles titles since 2012-2014 when Serena Williams won three.

Since winning the US Open in 2024, she has already reached the final four of her last five Grand Slams.

She said, “I’ll go out there on Saturday and fight for every reason I can in my life.”