Her dream of reaching the US Open finals was crushed into pieces by Amanda Anisimova as Naomi Osaka was defeated 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at Flushing Meadows.
Osaka started strong, winning 11 of the first 13 points while Anisimova had a hard time getting comfortable. But Anisimova found her rhythm and managed to break Osaka’s serve when Osaka was about to win the first set.
There was a delay because of a line call by the automated system at an important moment. It looked like the ball was called out before it even landed, while Osaka was at set point in the tie-break. But the replay showed the ball was actually out, so Osaka stayed focused and shouted loudly when she won the next point.
Osaka, had trouble keeping up the energy in the next set. Both players broke each other’s serve several times, hitting very hard during 12 games. Anisimova won the tie-break to push the match into the final set.
Osaka seemed to be feeling some pain, and Anisimova took the lead 4-1 with a strong forehand winner. Near the end, Anisimova struggled, missing two chances to win the match. Osaka had two chances to come back, but Anisimova hit powerful backhands and finally won.
Speaking during her post-match interview, eighth seed Anisimova had good things to say about her opponent and thanked her for a well-played match.
“She’s back where she belongs. I told her I’m so proud of her after having the baby. She was really giving me a run for the final.
“I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I just tried to stay positive. There was a lot of nerves at the beginning. This tournament means so much to me.
“I tried to enjoy the moment. Sometimes I was like, how are we making these shots? This has been a dream of mine forever to be in a US Open final and obviously, the hope is to be the champion. It’s really special.”
Amanda Anisimova will now face Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open finals. Anisimova and Sabalenka have played each other many times in tennis. They have met in major tournaments like the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. In July, Anisimova defeated Sabalenka at Wimbledon 2025 to reach her first final.
