SPORTS UPDATE
Amanda Anisimova is in her second straight Grand Slam final, though she’ll certainly be hoping for a less disastrous showing than her Wimbledon showing in July. Anisimova will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open finals on Saturday.
Anisimova’s fantastic run to the Wimbledon final led to a disaster of a championship match, falling to Iga Swiatek 6-0, 6-0 in a match that lasted less than an hour. In pursuit of her first Grand Slam title, Anisimova had to exercise the ghost of that Swiatek match when they faced off in the quarterfinals. This time, it was Anisimova who was on her game, winning in straight sets after breaking Swiatek’s serve four times.
In the semifinals, Anisimova won a thrilling match against four-time major titlist Naomi Osaka, with the New York crowd cheering the New Jersey-born Anisimova on to the finals.
“In the later moments of the second set, I was trying to remind myself what was on the line and the opportunity I have,” Anisimova said on Thursday. “I stepped onto the court and I felt I wasn’t playing my tennis because I was nervous and I was letting the stress get to me a little bit. But then I tried to dig deep and find my game and I feel like throughout the match I was able to find it more and more. The most important thing was that I kept fighting.”
No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova defeats No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka in grueling three-setter to reach US Open final
Zachary Pereles
On Saturday, Anisimova will be on the opposite end of the revenge-seeking storyline. Sabalenka had her Wimbledon run ended by Anisimova in the semifinals this year.
The loss to Anisimova was the latest in a frustrating run of major tournaments for Sabalenka in 2025. Sabalenka lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open finals, Coco Gauff in the French Open finals, and Anisimova in the aforementioned Wimbledon semifinals. All three of her Grand Slam losses this year have come against Americans.
“I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals,” Sabalenka said on Thursday.
Despite falling in the year’s first three majors, it has still been an incredible run for Sabalenka over the last three years. She’s claimed three Grand Slam titles (including the 2024 US Open) and only failed to reach the semifinals once in the 11 tournaments she entered.
Let’s take a look at how you can catch the final on Saturday before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the showdown.
SPORTS UPDATE Where to watch Anisimova vs. Sabalenka in the US Open finals
Date:Sept. 6 |Start time:4 p.m. ET
Location:Arthur Ashe Stadium — New York
TV channel:ESPN | Stream:Fubo(Try for free)
Odds: Sabalenka -200, Anisimova +160
SPORTS UPDATE Prediction
Sabalenka is listed as a -200 favorite at DraftKings and she’s favored for a reason. Despite her failure to win a Grand Slam title this year, Sabalenka has three major title wins in her career, including last year’s US Open. She’s a supremely skilled player who can overwhelm any player in the world when she’s on her game.
Unfortunately for Sabalenka, she is often her own worst enemy. When things aren’t going smoothly, she becomes visibly frustrated, and her play suffers as a result. A perfect example of this flaw was the French Open final against Gauff, a match where Sabalenka got so entirely in her head that she fell apart in a match where she’d won the first set.
If Anisimova wants to take advantage of Sabalenka’s mental lapses, she can’t afford a slow start. It seemed the moment overwhelmed her against Swiatek at Wimbledon, but she’s now been to a major final and knows what it will feel like to step onto the court.
Anisimova also has the benefit of a home crowd that should be fully behind her even prior to the first serve. The crowd could also come into play if Sabalenka struggles at any point.
Still, it’s hard to bet against Sabalenka. She’s the world No. 1 for a reason and she’s far more seasoned in the sport’s biggest moments. Pick: Aryna Sabalenka in three sets
