NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 04: Amanda Anisimova of the United States celebrates a point against Naomi Osaka of Japan during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Two months after getting embarrassed 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final, Amanda Anisimova is back in a second straight Grand Slam final.
The 23-year-old American No. 8 seed continued her dream run at the US Open with a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over four-time major champion and No. 23 Naomi Osaka in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The epic clash of concussive tennis lasted 2 hours, 56 minutes and ended at 12:54 a.m. Friday. The once-full stadium had dwindled to less than half by the end.
Anisimova, who was born in Freehold, N.J., will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final (4 p.m., ESPN) after Sabalenka took out No. 4 Jessica Pegula in three sets in a rematch of the 2024 final.
“Oh my God, it means the world,” Anisimova said on court. “I’m trying to process that right now. This has been a dream of mine forever, to be in the US Open final. Obviously, the dream is to be the champion.”
Saturday’s final will be a rematch of the Wimbledon semifinal won by Anisimova in three sets. Anisimova holds a 6-3 advantage on Sabalenka.
Anisimova can become the third different American woman to win a major title this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open and Coco Gauff the French Open.
“When she plays like this, she’s unbeatable,” 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert said on the ESPN broadcast.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 04: Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts against Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Anisimova was coming off the match of her life 24 hours earlier when she disposed of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the quarterfinals after getting double-bageled by Swiatek in the Wimbledon final.
“To come back and replicate that is asking for a lot from Amanda,” Evert said.
But after dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Anisimova didn’t go away.
She raised her level and made fewer mistakes (after committing 23 unforced errors against 17 errors in the first set) while continuing to hit out.
Anisimova earned a break for 3-1 in the decisive third set.
Serving for the match at 5-3, she had double-match point at 40-15 before losing three straight to face a break point.
She fought back and won it with a huge forehand into the corner and then approached Osaka to shake hands.
“I just tried to stay positive,” Anisimova said. “There was a lot of nerves in the beginning…I think that was really getting to me. In the end, I was just trying to fight my way through. We were playing some amazing tennis and sometimes I was like how are we making these shots? But we were and it just kept going.”
Osaka lost for the first time in her career after making the quarterfinals of a Slam.
“I honestly got a little farther than I thought I would,” she said.
She added: “I don’t feel said, it’s really weird. I just feel like I did the best that I could.
“It’s kind of inspiring for me because it just makes me want to train and get better. I can’t be mad or upset at myself.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 04: Amanda Anisimova of the United States returns a shot against Naomi Osaka of Japan during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 4, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Osaka was bidding to become the first mom to win a Grand Slam title since Kim Clijsters won three after giving birth to her daughter Jada in 2008. Clijsters won the US Open in 2009 and 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011 as a mom.
“I’m really inspired by all the moms on tour,” Osaka said ahead of the US Open semifinals. “So I also have this thing of feeling like I’m not doing good enough, or I’m being left behind…I know that Belinda [Bencic] made the semis of Wimbledon [this year]. So I just really felt like I was losing a race in some sort of weird way.”
After the match, Anisimova said: “I told her I’m so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level. It’s insane.”
Like Osaka, Anisimova also took time away from tennis.
Anisimova won the US Open Juniors at 15, defeating Gauff in the final, but was overwhelmed by the daily pressures associated with high-level tennis.
She battled Covid and various injuries and then took a mental health break from the sport in 2023. A year ago, she lost in Wimbledon qualifying.
Now she’s one match fom the title.
“Anisimova is playing the style that can win the US Open,” ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez after her quarterfinal win. “She can beat any of the players left because she’s got the weapons.”
Said Anisimova: “I hope to get some sleep tonight.”