Amanda Anisimova survives Naomi Osaka in three-set classic to book a spot in the US Open final
Amanda Anisimova walked off Arthur Ashe Stadium just before 1:00 a.m. with a grin that said it all. The No. 8 seed outlasted No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a near three-hour battle to reach the women’s final at Flushing Meadows. It was the kind of match that tightens the chest and tests every nerve: two tiebreaks, heavy hitting from the baseline, and a deciding set where the American finally pulled away.
Osaka took the opener 7-6 by leaning on first-strike tennis and a sharp return game that repeatedly put Anisimova under pressure. The rallies were short and explosive early, Osaka flattening forehands into the corners and refusing to give the American time to wind up her backhand. Anisimova, though, never looked rattled. Even while trailing, she kept landing first serves and took confident cracks down the line when Osaka left a window.
The second set turned into a nerve test. Both players held firm through 5-5, trading small bursts of momentum without blinking on big points. In that 5-5 game, Anisimova’s weight of shot finally told—she stepped inside the baseline, redirected pace, and forced Osaka to defend on the run. The tiebreak that followed was tight and tense, but Anisimova edged it with bold down-the-line backhands and a clean final strike to level the match at one set apiece.
The decider started with a different rhythm. Anisimova found early daylight on Osaka’s serve, reading patterns and squeezing errors by taking time away. An early break gave her a 3-1 platform, and from there she played with more freedom, mixing pace and angles, and pinning Osaka backhand-to-backhand to open the forehand court. Osaka, a four-time major champion known for flipping matches in a handful of points, kept swinging and even saved two match points in gutsy style—drilling a 94 mph second-serve return on one of them—but Anisimova stayed composed and closed on her third chance, 6-3.
What separated them at the end? Shot tolerance and timing. Anisimova’s backhand down the line—crisp and low over the net—was the shot of the night, breaking open rallies and earning short balls to finish. Osaka kept punching with the forehand and found big returns in clusters, but she had to play from slightly deeper positions as the match wore on. When Anisimova got her feet set, she dictated.
This wasn’t a clean, straight-line story. It was a grind that tested both players’ patience and nerve. Osaka had the edge in first-set urgency, taking the tiebreak with forcing returns and a few fearless winners under pressure. Anisimova countered with better depth and smarter patterns in the second set, especially at 5-5, where she absorbed pace and then stepped in to change direction. Once she earned the second-set tiebreak, the crowd felt the tilt.
In the third set, Anisimova’s serve spots got tighter—more to the corners, fewer mid-court looks for Osaka—and her second shot after the serve did real damage. Osaka still created flashes, especially on second-serve looks, but the American met those moments with firm replies rather than tentative blocks. The final game summed it up: Osaka saved two match points with fearless hitting; Anisimova shrugged, reset, and finished with authority.
For the American, this run is the continuation of an upswing that’s defined her season. It’s her second straight Grand Slam final in 2025, a marker that she’s not just hot—she’s reliable on the biggest stages. The composure showed in New York is the same thread: no panic when trailing, no rush when leading, and a willingness to hit the line when the rally demands it. Her mother’s tears in the stands as the last ball sailed long said plenty about the road to this point.
Osaka’s performance shouldn’t be lost in the result. She showed stretches of the disruptive power that made her a two-time US Open champion: big serves at key junctures, forehands struck so cleanly they left no doubt, and returns that turned defense into immediate offense. She clawed back from the brink late, saved match points, and made Anisimova earn every inch. For a player rebuilding match toughness deep into a Slam, this was solid proof she can still push the best into the late hours.
The match also fit the New York night-session script: fast starts, big swings, and the kind of momentum swings that make Ashe feel small. With the clock ticking toward 1:00 a.m., both players managed the noise and nerves. Anisimova, especially, handled scoreboard pressure well—no panic after a shaky point, no rush into overhitting the next one.
- Duration: just under three hours
- Finish: around 1:00 a.m. local time
- Scoreline: 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
- Saved match points: Osaka saved two before Anisimova converted the third
What Anisimova’s win sets up: a power showdown with Sabalenka
Up next is Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final—a heavyweight baseline battle on paper. Both play first-strike tennis, both hit through the court, and both love taking returns early. The first-serve percentage will matter, but so will the second ball: can Anisimova neutralize Sabalenka’s return with depth and direction, and can she keep her backhand down the line steady under heat?
There’s also the movement chess. Sabalenka thrives when she gets shoulder-high looks and can tee off; Anisimova’s best counter is to keep the ball lower, mix pace, and change direction early in the rally. If the American continues to serve to the corners and earn short replies, she’ll get the forehand looks she wants. If Sabalenka crowds the baseline and smothers time, she’ll yank control back quickly.
The stakes are clear: a season that started hot for Anisimova now has a shot at a defining finish. She’s already locked in a second major final of the year; one more match stands between her and a title in New York. The blueprint from the semifinal—measured aggression, smart patterns, and no fear of the lines—translates well to the final. The margin is thin at this level, and handling the first 30 minutes could decide everything.
For Osaka, this was a deep, confidence-building run. She came within a handful of points of flipping the night and showed she can still push elite form deep into the second week here. The return popped, the forehand cracked, and the competitive fire was all there. If the draw breaks her way later this year, watch out.
As the crowd spilled out onto the grounds, the story felt bigger than one match. Anisimova didn’t just win; she solved a problem that kept changing shape for three hours and did it under the late-night lights. That poise is exactly what she’ll need against Sabalenka when she walks on court for the final at the US Open 2025. One more night, one more high-wire match, and a chance to own New York.
