Aryna Sabalenka will contest her second-straight US Open final this weekend, as she faces Amanda Anisimova for the crown.
It promises to be an enthralling, big-hitting affair between two of the sport’s most in-form players.
Whilst the American will be entering her second successive major final, Aryna Sabalenka will be hoping to convert at the third time of asking, having only failed to reach the final at Wimbledon, where she was ironically beaten by Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals.
With the Belarusian having tied up her match against Jessica Pegula, she will have been keeping an eye on Anisimova’s clash with Naomi Osaka with keen interest.
After all, not only would she be playing the victor, but it would also determine whether one worrying statistic would be given the chance to re-emerge once again.
Aryna Sabalenka’s worrying Grand Slam record vs Americans
This statistic relates to American players on the WTA, of which there are many top assets.
Sabalenka, despite her dominance throughout the season, is actually without a Grand Slam title. For that, she can definitely blame this country.
After all, in Melbourne, she was defeated in the final by Madison Keys, before Coco Gauff completed her comeback win in the French Open final in May.
Then, Anisimova would knock her out of Wimbledon, meaning that she has seen all three of her major runs this year thwarted by Americans.
Now, with Osaka having lost, it gives the 24-year-old a golden opportunity to repeat her feat at the All-England Club and consolidate a tough year for Sabalenka.
Amanda Anisimova could really trouble Aryna Sabalenka in US Open final
What will make this an even more worrying clash for the three-time Grand Slam champion is her respective head-to-head records against her what were her two prospective opponents.
After all, her only previous match against Osaka, whilst a loss, came all the way back in 2018.
She is a completely transformed player since then, and would have definitely backed herself to outhit the Japanese superstar at one of her favoured events.
However, Sabalenka has faced Anisimova far more often and subsequently lost with more frequency too.
Their head-to-head currently sits at 6-3 in favour of the Wimbledon finalist, and she has also won their last two meetings on hard courts as well.
With this in mind, and Sabalenka’s Grand Slam kryptonite clearly tied to American women, it’s fair to say she will not have been best pleased with the result of the second US Open semi-final last night.
Not to mention the fact that Anisimova’s mindset has improved so much since her demolition in the Wimbledon final; she could pose an almighty threat this Saturday.
