REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Kevin Lamarque
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - September 6, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka in action during the women's singles final against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Aryna Sabalenka thrust her arm into the air, the lion tattoo gleaming as she let out a roar to mark her US Open 2025 triumph.
Sabalenka looked on course for a smooth finish when she built a 5-3 lead in the second set, but the script tightened. She dropped two crucial games, allowing Anisimova to claw back to 5-5 and tilt the stadium’s energy. In the tiebreak Sabalenka achieved 6-1, creating five championship points, only to see two of them slip away. At last, she steadied herself, smashing a 117 mph serve to claim the title 6-3, 7-6(3). The victory was especially sweet: after falling in the finals or semifinals of every other major this season, she finally came out on top, treasuring this hard-won reward for months of frustration.
In a press conference after her match, Sabalenka explained her mindset was to “fight for every point, focus on myself, and focus on the things I have to do to win this match.” That is exactly what she did, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Earlier this year, Sabalenka suffered heartbreak at Wimbledon, losing in the semifinals to Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. “At Wimbledon, I was overthinking, I was doubting my decisions, I was stopping my arms a lot,” she said. This sentiment fueled her determination at the US Open, where she refused to let hesitation creep into her game.
In the past, Sabalenka has wrestled with her emotions in an obvious manner: smashing rackets in fury, yelling at her player box, and struggling with double faults under pressure. At the 2022 Australian Open, a cascade of double faults forced her into underarm serves out of sheer frustration. Cameras even caught her destroying her racket in the hallway after her 2023 US Open semifinal loss. This time in New York, though, none of that volatility showed; instead, she channeled her fire into focus.
Across the net, Amanda Anisimova’s journey told a different story. The 23-year-old American has traveled her own winding path back to the big stage. Earlier this season, she reached the Wimbledon final but in a dramatic final, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek defeated her 6-0, 6-0.
At the US Open quarterfinals, Anisimova turned the tables by defeating Swiatek 6-4, 6-3, injecting new energy into her career. These matches reminded fans of the prodigy who once burst onto the scene as a teenager, but also of the emotional highs and lows she still navigates.
In the 2025 US Open final, she fought fiercely, pushing the second set to a tiebreak. In the end, though, moments of hesitation at key junctures cost her. If Sabalenka’s lion tattoo represents ferocity and focus, Anisimova’s journey has shown that she is finding the balance between raw talent and belief.
The 2025 US Open final was more than just a clash of power hitters; it was a study in two competing arcs of resilience. Sabalenka, once derailed by her own emotions, demonstrated how composure and belief can be forged into championship steel. Anisimova, meanwhile, reminded fans of her enormous potential, even if didn’t get the results she was hoping for into these two consecutive grand slam finals.
If this final was any indication, women’s tennis may have found its next defining rivalry: one shaped by power, passion, and the courage to reveal the lion within.