Only 58 days ago, Amanda Anisimova left the All England Club after a double-bagel loss to Iga Swiatek. However, she turned the short run in her maiden major final into an exemplary comeback. On the way to the US Open final, she also got the better of two former world No. 1s, including Swiatek. On Saturday, despite a 24,000-plus crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheering for the local favorite, the American still dropped to the defending champion and current world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka. But it is not to say that she didn’t make it challenging.

Entering the matchup, Anisimova was a clear underdog. Yet, the crowd saw her matching Sabalenka’s pace, speedy serves, and deep groundstrokes. The New Jersey native was on the verge of taking away the second set with a tight tiebreaker. With multiple self-inflicted damages, though, her comeback run came to an end in a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) defeat. No wonder she was emotional after making a second consecutive grand slam final run. And she took a moment to analyze her performance after the match with a message to her fans.

This was a huge moment for the eighth-seeded American as she said, “Yeah, it’s been a great summer. Losing in two finals in a row is great, but then it’s also super hard. I think I didn’t fight hard enough for my dreams today.” However, this was a big milestone for her. After being outside of top 40 in Doha, she continued to rise. She had a top 20 debut in February this year and made it to the top 10s in July. Making the US Open finals, she now climbs to No. 4 in the WTA rankings. Disappointment aside, her humility stood out as she turned her words toward her opponent.

“But I just want to say congrats to Aryna. I mean, you are so incredible, and I know I have to face you all the time, but I admire what you’ve accomplished and keep on achieving so many incredible things. So, so many congratulations to you and your team. You guys are amazing.” Still, credit also goes to Amanda and her team for an unforgettable run.

Amanda Anisimova now has two Grand Slam finals in her career—and both came back-to-back. At Wimbledon 2025, she lost to Iga Swiatek in a crushing 6-0, 6-0 scoreline. In New York, Sabalenka stopped her again. Across the majors, Anisimova’s record now stands at 44-23.

The mistakes in her game stood out, though. Anisimova closed with 29 unforced errors against just 22 winners. Sabalenka played it smart, easing off her power—she landed only one ace—and stuck to a cleaner stat line of 13 winners and 15 unforced errors. However, you can’t deny that her performance at the tournament overall wasn’t impressive. Rick Macci surely couldn’t!

Renowned coach hails Amanda Anisimova’s US Open form

Macci, once the childhood mentor of Serena Williams, believed Anisimova had a real shot at the US Open. On X, he wrote: “Anisimova versus Sabalenka is who can have fun in the New York sun. Whoever enjoys the fight will take flight.” Breaking down the matchup, he added: “Nerves could come into play and that might decide the day. Both players can Bam but if Sab get mad DOUBLE A MIGHT WIN HER FIRST SLAM.” In the end, Sabalenka proved too strong, but Amanda walked away as the star of the fortnight.

Macci doubled down on his praise earlier in the week. He posted: “Nobody in the history of tennis has flipped a script so fast from losing 6/0 6/0 and then beat the player who served you bagels and you follow it up beating one of the hottest players on tour in Osaka and your in another Grand Slam final. Unreal mental magic from Amanda.”

One detail gave Amanda Anisimova a surprising edge. While Sabalenka is tagged the power-hitter on tour, Amanda’s shots packed more speed, especially off her backhand. And her numbers even stacked higher than some ATP names. During her semifinal against Naomi Osaka, the broadcast revealed the stat. Anisimova’s backhand was clocking an average of 77 mph (123.91 kmph). That even topped World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who averages 76 mph (122.31 kmph). The numbers spoke volumes about her firepower.

She didn’t take home her first major just yet, falling again at the final hurdle. But walking away with another Grand Slam run, Amanda now carries the fight and belief that could spark her breakthrough next season. What do you think?