Amanda Anisimova faced a tough test in the US Open semifinals, as she attempted to qualify for her second consecutive Grand Slam final.
After Anisimova stunned Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, she advanced to play Naomi Osaka in the last four.
Dropping the first set in a tiebreaker 6-7 [4-7], Anisimova handed the early advantage to her Japanese opponent on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fighting hard, Anisimova pushed Osaka to another tiebreaker in the second, where she sent their semifinal into a deciding set.

Stepping into another gear from that point on, Anisimova secured the win in three sets, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, booking her place in the US Open final.
Reacting to Anisimova’s semifinal win, Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, claimed she had made ‘tennis history’.
Rick Macci says nobody in tennis history has ‘flipped the script’ faster than Amanda Anisimova
Weighing in with his thoughts on Anisimova’s win, Macci was impressed with the American’s mental resilience.
“Nobody in the history of tennis has flipped a script so fast from losing 6-0, 6-0 and then beat the player who served you bagels and you follow it up beating one of the hottest players on tour in [Naomi] Osaka and you’re in another Grand Slam final,” he said on X.

“Unreal mental magic from Amanda [Anisimova].”
Just two months ago, Anisimova qualified for her maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon after a dream run at the All England Club.
Unfortunately for Anisimova, the dream soon became a nightmare, as she suffered a devastating defeat in the final.
In 57 minutes, Anisimova lost to Swiatek 0-6, 0-6, failing to win a single game in the biggest match of her career.
Not prepared to let the Wimbledon final defeat define her, Anisimova got her revenge at the US Open beating Swiatek in straight sets to reach the semis.
Backing that performance up with a win over Osaka, Anisimova advanced to her second consecutive Grand Slam final.
Making a remarkable recovery in such a short space of time, Anisimova deserves all the praise she’s receiving.
“The double A batteries are completely recharged as Amanda Anisimova, a player who wants to be a doctor someday, is plugged in and will operate in her second Grand Slam final,” added Macci.
The question now is whether Anisimova can perform better in her second Grand Slam final, than she did in her first.
Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head record
Anisimova will likely set foot on Arthur Ashe Stadium as the underdog on Saturday, taking on the world number one and defending champion, but who’s had the better of their previous WTA Tour meetings?
| Match | Surface | Tier | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Wimbledon – SF | Grass | Grand Slam | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 2025 French Open – 4R | Clay | Grand Slam | Aryna Sabalenka | Amanda Anisimova | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2024 Canadian Open – QF | Hard | WTA 1000 | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2024 Australian Open – 4R | Hard | Grand Slam | Aryna Sabalenka | Amanda Anisimova | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2022 Italian Open – QF | Clay | WTA 1000 | Aryna Sabalenka | Amanda Anisimova | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2022 Madrid Open – 1R | Clay | WTA 1000 | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2022 Charleston Open – 3R | Clay | WTA 500 | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2019 French Open – 2R | Clay | Grand Slam | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2019 Australian Open – 3R | Hard | Grand Slam | Amanda Anisimova | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-3, 6-2 |
Interestingly, it’s Anisimova who leads the head-to-head, winning six of their nine matches.
The Belarusian and American have already played two matches at Grand Slams this year, facing off in the fourth round of the French Open and the Wimbledon semifinals.
At Roland Garros, it was Sabalenka who prevailed, picking up the win in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.
It wasn’t long before Anisimova returned to winning ways, however, as she defeated Sabalenka in a three-set thriller at SW19.

It’s tough to call who will come away with the win in their third Grand Slam meeting of the year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Sabalenka and Anisimova will battle it out for the US Open title on Saturday, September 6.
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