New York: Aryna Sabalenka solidified her status as the world’s top player on Saturday, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to claim her second consecutive US Open title. With the win, Sabalenka becomes the first woman to defend her singles crown at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2014. 

The top seed and defending champion delivered a powerful and composed performance against the eighth-seeded American, earning her first Grand Slam title of the 2025 season and the fourth major trophy of her career. It also marked her 100th career Grand Slam main-draw victory and 56th win of the season — the most on tour this year.

Sabalenka had reached the finals at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year but fell short on both occasions. On Saturday, she broke through with a determined and emotionally charged display, overcoming a spirited challenge from Anisimova, who was appearing in her second straight Grand Slam final.

The opening set saw five service breaks between the two players, with Sabalenka ultimately gaining the upper hand. She broke Anisimova for a third time to go up 5-3 and closed out the set minutes later when Anisimova missed a forehand wide.

In the second set, Sabalenka appeared poised to finish the match while serving at 5-4, but a missed overhead at 30-all opened the door for Anisimova to break back and push the set to a tiebreak. However, Sabalenka responded with poise, controlling the tiebreak from the outset and sealing victory on her third championship point.

Anisimova, who defeated Sabalenka earlier this year in the Wimbledon semifinals, came into the match with a 6-3 head-to-head edge but fell short once again. Despite the loss, the American is projected to break into the Top 5 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time. (IANS)