It was another Saturday to forget for Amanda Anisimova, as the American lost her second straight Grand Slam final in a row. Facing off against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open, she lost 3-6, 6-7(3) at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Unlike the 0-6, 0-6 drubbing against Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, Anisimova displayed a lot of heart and mental strength in New York, coming back from a break down in both sets. Unfortunately, Sabalenka proved too good for her at the end of the night.
After the loss, the American was understandably flustered, breaking down in tears and looking emotionally distraught before the presentation ceremony. Thankfully, she got a sweet message of hope from her conqueror, who assured her that she has everything it takes to win a Slam one day.
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Sabalenka, who has three Slam final losses to her name (and four wins now), also assured Anisimova that she knew what she was going through, and promised her that the pain would only make the eventual triumph all the sweeter.
"I’m speechless right now. Congrats Amanda Anisimova on reaching back-to-back Slam finals. 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," Sabalenka said.
"You play incredible tennis. Congrats to you and your team on the things you’ve achieved after your comeback. Girl, you’re gonna enjoy it even more after the tough losses in the final," she added.
Sabalenka has now won the US Open twice and the Australian Open twice as well. Anisimova, meanwhile, has her biggest title at the WTA 1000 level, having won the Qatar Open this year.
Aryna Sabalenka continues World No. 1 stay after US Open, Amanda Anisimova moves into Top-5
At the US Open, both Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff had a shot at taking the World No. 1 spot away from Aryna Sabalenka. But thanks to her run, she will now extend her lead at the top of the WTA rankings.
Amanda Anisimova, on the other hand, has jumped to World No. 4 in the live rankings, a new career-high. Four of the top 10 women in the world are now Americans, with Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys being the other two.
