Martina Navratilova shared some advice for Amanda Anisimova after her heartbreaking loss in the US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka. This is the American’s second Grand Slam final loss just months apart.
On Saturday, September 6, home favorite Anisimova looked to spoil World No. 1 Sabalenka’s US Open campaign. This is a challenge Coco Gauff conquered in 2023, but Jessica Pegula fell short of in 2024. Anisimova hoped to script her own Gauff-like story, but she too came up short.
The finalists exchanged early breaks in the opening set, but it was Sabalenka who capitalized and secured it. The second set saw two more traded breaks before heading into a tiebreak, where the Belarusian, who had won 20 of 21 tiebreaks in 2025, extended that dominance to seal a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.
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Former World No. 1 Martina Navratilova felt Anisimova was 'okay' emotionally, but she has to be 'nicer' to herself going forward.
"She was okay emotionally but still a little bit too much of a rollercoaster. I think she needs to be nicer to herself. Period... She is such a perfectionist that she gets disappointed too easily and she needs to stay more positive the whole time," Navratilova said while speaking on Sky Sports.
Even after losing the Wimbledon final 0-6, 0-6 to Iga Swiatek, Anisimova kept grinding to earn a spot in her second Grand Slam final. She got her revenge against the Pole and defeated the likes of Naomi Osaka and Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach the final. She has cemented her spot in the WTA Top 5 for the first time after the final result.
"There were a lot of momentum changes" - Martina Navratilova's assesment of Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova US Open final
During her segment on Sky Sports, Martina Navratilova gave her assessment of the 2025 US Open final between Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova. She believes that for a straight set win, the match had several momentum changes.
"For a match that was 6-3, 7-6, there were a lot of momentum changes within the match," Martina Navratilova said.
Sabalenka opened the final by taking the first two games, but Anisimova responded with three in a row. The Belarusian then surged back, reeling off four straight games to close out the set.
In the second, Sabalenka led 3-1 before Anisimova pulled level, and again at 5-3, the American fought back. Ultimately, the World No. 1 held firm in the tiebreak to clinch the match.
"Aryna Sabalenka showed just what a champion she is, because she had a lot of pressure on her – she lost finals at the Australian Open and French Open... Amanda Anisimova has got to keep her head up high. She held her own here today and is now in the conversation at all of the majors," Navratilova added.
Sabalenka became the first woman since Serena Williams to defend her US Open title. Of the past 12 Grand Slam events she played, the Belarusian has won four, finished as the runner-up thrice, reached the semifinal four times, and the quarterfinal once.
