World number one Aryna Sabalenka will once again contend at Arthur Ashe Stadium when she meets American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the U.S. Open final on Saturday, the third straight year she has faced a home favourite in the championship match.
The defending champion rallied from a set down to defeat fourth seed Jessica Pegula in Thursday’s semi-final, keeping alive her bid to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014 to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles.
Sabalenka is well accustomed to American crowds favouring her opponents. In last year’s final she fell to Coco Gauff, later jokingly calling out the New York fans for their lack of support. This season she has leaned into the challenge, teasing spectators during her run. After beating Emma Navarro in the semi-finals she quipped: “Now you’re cheering for me – wow – it’s a bit late.”
Also Read: Sabalenka Battles Past Pegula to Reach U.S. Open Final
Her opponent, Anisimova, booked her spot in the final with a three-set victory over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, ensuring the Belarusian will again be cast in the role of outsider in front of a U.S. audience.
“I played a lot of matches against American women in America and probably learned how to deal with it with experience,” Sabalenka said. “After last season, I think I learned to distance myself somehow. I only heard support in my direction and was so focused on my work that I could not allow myself to give in to emotions.”
Sabalenka enters Saturday’s showdown looking for her third career Grand Slam title, while Anisimova will be contesting her first major final.
