Amanda Anisimova faces defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open women's final

NEW YORK (AP) — It is impossible to look ahead to Amanda Anisimova's U.S. Open final against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday without viewing it through the prism of what happened less than two months ago at the last Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon. Impossible for Anisimova. Impossible for Sabalenka. Impossible for anyone, really. That's because, for one thing, Anisimova made it to her first title match at any Grand Slam tournament by beating the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka in the semifinals at the All England Club to improve to 6-3 in their head-to-head series. And because, of course, Anisimova's major final debut ended with a loss — and not just any sort of loss, but a 6-0, 6-0 shutout against Iga Swiatek. Amanda Anisimova seeks her 1st major title, Aryna Sabalenka her 4th The way Anisimova, a 24-year-old American who is the No. 8 seed at Flushing Meadows, managed to put that defeat behind her immediately and not just play well, but well enough to eliminate Swiatek, of all people, in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, en route to making it to another final, is remarkable. "It just shows that I have worked really hard, especially on my mental game and not giving up," Anisimova said after coming back to defeat four-time major champion Naomi Osaka 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a semifinal that ended shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday. "Like today, I could have easily said, 'Oh, she's playing better than me, and I can't really do anything.'" Anisimova didn't shy away from thinking about, or talking about, what happened at Wimbledon. Rather than completely erase it, she even watched that final the night before her rematch against Swiatek in New York, "as painful as it was, just to see what I can avoid or what went wrong," said Anisimova, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. Anisimova learned from the Wimbledon final to get to the US Open final She paid attention to tennis-specific aspects, and made an effort to understand how to better deal with the kinds of pressure that arise. "I have really worked on myself to really be able to handle those moments and to believe in myself, even when it feels like, 'What is there to believe in?' in a way, when you're not playing that well," she said. "I have really done a better job of that." That helped against Osaka, who was a game from winning while up a set and 6-5 in the second. Anisimova acknowledged afterward she experienced nerves and stress. "I just keep telling myself that I can do it, and I believe in myself. I keep saying that over and over again, not just in the match, but the whole day. I really try and tell my brain, or I guess I feel like (if I) 'manifest' it," Anisimova said, using two fingers to make air quotes, "or visualize it, then it will happen." Anisimova beat Coco Gauff in the 2017 US Open junior final This is the sort of elite play expected of Anisimova since she was a teen who beat Coco Gauff in the 2017 U.S. Open junior final. As a pro in 2019, at 17, Anisimova reached the French Open semifinals. Then, in 2023, she took a mental-health break because of burnout. As Anisimova now pursues her first Grand Slam championship, Sabalenka will be seeking her fourth overall and second U.S. Open trophy in a row. The last woman to win consecutive titles in New York was Serena Williams, who captured three straight in 2012-14. Both of Saturday's finalists are equipped with some of the biggest groundstrokes in the game. Sabalenka is a premier server; Anisimova's among the best returners around. Anisimova defeated Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals in July After her semifinal win over 2024 U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula on Thursday, Sabalenka was asked what sticks out from the loss to Anisimova in July. "I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots. I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors," said Sabalenka, the runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January and to Gauff at the French Open in June. "I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis," Sabalenka said about Anisimova, "but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn't use them."