Amanda Anisimova will face Aryna Sabalenka tonight in the US Open final, as she bids to become the third American woman to win a Grand Slam this year.
It has been a sensational year for American women, with Madison Keys starting the year off perfectly in Melbourne, before Coco Gauff maintained that trend in Paris.
Ironically, both of those wins came against tonight’s opponent, with the three-time major champion having enjoyed a year of great consistency but little success at these events.
Her form throughout 2025 at these crucial moments, and her opponent, make it almost impossible to confidently predict Aryna Sabalenka to cruise through this final.
It feels like it could go either way.
Annabel Croft, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live last night, has sought to distinguish between them.
Annabel Croft predicts the women’s US Open final vs Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova
Whilst Sabalenka is the deserved top-ranked player in the world, her record at the latter stages of Grand Slams this year has been uncharacteristically underwhelming.
Meanwhile, Amanda Anisimova is set to contest her second-straight major final, having actually beaten the Belarusian in the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this summer.
One could make a valid argument for either player winning, and Croft has sought to do that with the hometown hero.
She claimed: “She has a very good record against her, and she likes playing her.
“She has been sensational. I think she’s shocked everybody with how she’s bounced back, come straight back into another Grand Slam final. She seems so much better prepared; maybe she’s going to shock everyone this time.
“I’m sort of edging towards [Amanda] Anisimova being able to win that.”
Chris Evert has explained why winning the US Open would be so important for Sabalenka particularly, relating this to her inefficiency at the crucial stages of these events.
Amanda Anisimova has had the best year of her career
Whilst she has enjoyed crowning moments earlier in her career, this is, by some distance, the best that Anisimova has enjoyed thus far.
After all, reaching two Grand Slam finals in a single year is no mean feat, and as Croft has proven, many are now tipping her to add a US Open title to her collection as well.
When she emerged on tour, the 24-year-old was tipped as this prodigious, electric young talent ready to dominate tennis.
And whilst it has taken slightly longer than expected, she is right where many once believed she would be.
Semi-finals, quarter-finals and many fourth-round runs at the Grand Slam level marked impressive consistency, but did not justify her incredible quality and potential.
Fortunately, she has upped her game in that regard, and even added a Masters 1000 title to her trophy cabinet as she won in Qatar earlier this year.
What a year it has already been for Anisimova. And, it could be about to get so much better.
