Aryna Sabalenka, the World No.1, has surprisingly not won a single Grand Slam this year despite having reached in semifinals of all the previous three Majors. Sabalenka face Amanda Anisimova in the final of the US Open 2025.
Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova have been bruised by their own heartbreaking instances this season. Sabalenka, the World No.1, has lost two Grand Slam finals this year and her emotions spilt over her after the French Open final against Coco Gauff, for which she apologised to the American.
The Americans have come in between Sabalenka in her quest for her fourth Grand Slam title. She earlier lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final and went down to Anisimova in the Wimbledon semifinals.ย
Talking about Wimbledon semifinals,ย one would remember the double bagel Anisimova suffered against Iga Swiatek at SW19 when she could not open her mark to lose the title clash 6-0, 6-0.
For Anisimova to come out of that humiliation and make her way into the finals of the immediate next Major and, after defeating Swiatek on her way, speaks for the volume of work she has done mentally within a couple of months.ย
She defeated Swiatek in the quarterfinal before halting an in-form Naomi Osaka’s run in the semifinal. “I have worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up,” Anisimova said after her victory over Osaka.
“I could have easily said, ‘she’s playing better than me, and I can’t really do anything’.
“But I tried to find any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough.”
Both Anisimova and Sabalenka will look to keep their nerves and emotions in control. Sabalenka said she learnt a lesson after the Gauff incident, when she said that the American won the final “not because she played incredible [but] because I made all those mistakes”.
“I learned that lesson, and I will never behave that way. It’s not me,” Sabalenka said two days ahead of the US Open final.
“I was super emotional. I let emotions take control over me, and it’s not who I am.”
Sabalenka trails Anisimova in head-to-head encounters 3-6 and has also been behind her in Grand Slam meetings with a 2-3 head-to-head record. She would take confidence from her round of 16 win over the American in the French Open as they meet at theย Arthur Ashe Stadium. Both players have a similar style of playing with strong hitting skills that can make the opponents run out of options. But when the similars meet, only one will prevail. Both have suffered setbacks in 2025 and only one of them will able to flip the season as the US Open awaits its women’s champion.