Entering this summer, Amanda Anisimova had never been to a slam final. Now, she’s heading to her second in three months. The 24-year-old American is into the US Open women’s singles final with a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 win over No. 23 Naomi Osaka.
Anisimova will face No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final.
“This has been a dream of mine, like, forever is to be in the US Open final,” Anisimova told ESPN on her on-court interview. “Obviously the hope is to be the champion, but I’m in the final now, and I’m gonna try to get ready, but I’m just excited. It’s really special.”
Osaka broke Anisimova in the first game of the match. After Anisimova took a 30-0 lead, she committed four straight unforced errors, including a double fault.
Down 0-40 on her second service game and in danger of letting things get out of control early, Anisimova fought off three break points to remain just one break down, and she promptly broke Osaka back to get on serve. Osaka would break right back, though, as both players had issues with their serve.
Serving for the set up 5-4, Osaka fell down 0-40, and Anisimova converted her second break point opportunity of the game, jumping all over an Osaka second serve.
The momentum quickly swung the other way in the tiebreaker, though: down 2-1, Anisimova double faulted and then put a relatively straightforward forehand into the net. That was more than enough room for Osaka to win the tiebreaker comfortably, 7-4.
The second set began with a pair of breaks and then a pair of holds before Anisimova got up a break when Osaka sent a shot long. The No. 23 seed slammed a tennis ball onto the court in frustration.
Osaka’s frustration continued to simmer — she slammed her racket into the ground a couple of times — during the next game, but she ended up breaking back anyway. Again, it wasn’t the most beautiful tennis Arthur Ashe Stadium has ever seen.
The seesaw match tilted back in Anisimova’s favor in the ninth game of the second set. Down 40-0, she ripped off six straight points, the last one featuring some marvelous defense, to go up a break, 5-4.
This time, though, it was Anisimova’s turn to fail to serve out the set, another double fault allowing Osaka to get back on serve.
In the second-set tiebreak, Anisimova was the one taking control with a quick 4-0 lead. She closed out the set on an Osaka unforced error.
Osaka headed back to the locker room between the second and third set and appeared to be dealing with a foot issue — a trainer came out early in the third set — as Anisimova went up an early break.
This time, Anisimova would not give her hard-earned break back. Serving for the match, Anisimova unleashed big serves and the crisp, powerful ground strokes that have fueled her rise. After failing to convert two match points — and even facing two break points herself — Anisimova unleashed a pair of strong forehand winners to close things out.
Anisimova will be looking to improve on her first performance in a slam final; at the Wimbledon final in July, she lost 6-0, 6-0 to Iga Swiatek. Anisimova, who beat Swiatek in the US Open quarters Wednesday, is the first woman to reach a slam final after losing the previous slam’s final 6-0, 6-0.
She needed all that resilience, and then some, against Osaka, who has been plenty resilient herself throughout this tournament, her deepest slam run since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
“Naomi is playing amazing tennis,” Anisimova said. “She’s back where she belongs. I just told her I’m so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level. It’s insane.”
Anisimova is 6-3 against Sabalenka, including a three-set win over her at Wimbledon.
