Anisimova’s loss to Sabalenka hurts, but her rise is undeniable

She had just lost in a Grand Slam final for the second time in less than two months. 

Amanda Anisimova was understandably gutted, but when she thanked the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd for their support they let loose a warm, sustained ovation. Anisimova, the pride of nearby New Jersey, leaned back, closed her eyes and let the love wash over her.

She never gave up, never stopped fighting. And that can only sustain her going forward.

With Sabalenka serving for the match at 5-4 -- and only two points from the title -- Anisimova summoned one more brave effort. She broke Sabalenka and forced a tiebreak. And while she lost the match, 6-3, 7-6 (3), it was a far better result than the 6-0, 6-0 defeat in the Wimbledon final at the hands of Iga Swiatek.

“I just felt like throughout the match I wasn’t playing my best tennis,” Anisimova told reporters. “I feel like with finals I have a lot of nerves, and it’s something I’m trying to work on, but I just wish I played more aggressive. 

“I didn’t win today, so of course I didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality, and I have to accept that.”

Despite the loss, this was one of the more memorable Grand Slam runs in recent years. After losing that Wimbledon final, in one of the truly memorable pivots, the 24-year-old Anisimova came back to stun Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open quarterfinals. And then she took out four-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals. Osaka, incredibly, had never lost a major quarterfinal, semifinal or final.

A win over Sabalenka would have made it three in a row over former No. 1 players and multi-Grand Slam winners.

Sabalenka embraced Anisimova after the match and had kind words for her during the trophy presentation.

“Congrats, Amanda, on reaching back-to-back finals in the Slams,” Sabalenka said. “I know how much it hurts losing in the finals. But trust me, the moment you win your first one -- and you’re going to win it -- you play incredible tennis.

“Girl, you’re going to enjoy it even more after these tough losses.”

Think about how far she’s come -- and how fast.

She stepped away from tennis in 2023 and returned to Wimbledon the following year with a No. 189 ranking. On Monday, she’ll zoom to No. 4 in the PIF WTA Rankings.

“Listening about Wimbledon every single day of the last two weeks, I mean, I’ve done really well with that,” Anisimova said. “I've tried to turn everything around for myself. 

“I was really trying to do all the right things to give myself the best possible chance of winning today, but just wasn’t enough.”