In a gripping late-night semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Amanda Anisimova fought for 2 hours and 56 minutes to defeat the two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3.
The victory propelled the American star into the record books as the youngest player (23 years, 358 days) since Serena and Venus Williams in 2002 to reach both the Wimbledon and US Open finals in a single season, according to OptaSTATS.
Anisimova had already avenged one of the most crushing defeats in Grand Slam history, overcoming Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals after a 6-0, 6-0 loss to the same player at Wimbledon just seven weeks prior.
The semifinal against Osaka was a thriller that began with Anisimova struggling to settle into the match. Osaka, playing her first major semifinal since 2021, quickly took control, winning 11 of the first 13 points. The early exchanges saw numerous unforced errors from Anisimova, but she gradually found her rhythm, punishing Osaka’s second serve and controlling baseline rallies. By the second set tie-break, Anisimova overpowered Osaka 7-3, forcing a decisive third set where she surged to a 4-1 lead thanks to aggressive forehands and precise ball placement.
After missing two match points and allowing Osaka a brief fightback, Anisimova stayed composed, hitting decisive backhands to clinch the win. With this result, Anisimova improved her head-to-head record against Osaka to 6-3, splitting their meetings 1-1 for the season, with this victory following her Wimbledon semi-final win over the Japanese star.
The win sets up a highly anticipated final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced to her third consecutive US Open final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka, the defending champion, is aiming for her sixth consecutive hard-court Grand Slam final and a successful title defense in New York.
Anisimova’s run is particularly notable as it will be her first US Open final and her second Grand Slam final appearance of the season. The stage is now all set for a showdown on Saturday, September 6, at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, with Anisimova one win away from her maiden Grand Slam title.
