PREVIEW US Open 2025 Women's Final: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces feared American home hero Amanda Anisimova

It all comes down to this, it is defending champion Aryna Sabalenka vs American home hero again just like last year but this time it is Amanda Anisimova flying the flag for the red, white and blue in the Women's final of the US Open.

Perhaps aside from a Sabalenka v Gauff or Sabalenka v Swiatek tie, this is the perfect end to the tournament on many fronts with Anisimova getting the chance like Jasmine Paolini did last year to reach back-to-back major finals and get another shot at redemption at the US Open. It all starts on Saturday 6 September at 16:00 local time. In terms of CET (European time) and UK time, it will be 10pm CET or 9pm BST.

Especially after her horror show against Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, she showed real guts to come back and produce the goods at the US Open. But she faces Sabalenka who has tasted recent heartbreak losing in both the finals of the French Open and Australian Open.

She has had a great year as the World No.1 but could have more majors in her collection than she does now and often for Sabalenka, the comeback is better than the setback. She has often proved that when she loses often falling apart to do so that she comes back stronger.

The World No.1 and top dog going into the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka though perhaps has been overshadowed by the revival of a certain Iga Swiatek who won Wimbledon and Cincinnati but lost to Amanda Anisimova at the US Open.

Sabalenka even potentially stopped an all American final with Jessica Pegula downtrodden drinking a Honey Deuce after losing to Sabalenka and for good reason after she went 6-4 up and then lost the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 and was even puzzled about what she did wrong.

It has been both easy and tough for Sabalenka this tournament. She was taken to a tie-break by both Polina Kudermetova and Leylah Fernandez in the opening two rounds and usually for Sabalenka, it is the lights out tennis that her and a smattering of top WTA names including Swiatek and Gauff produce that sees them fly through.

The issues then come later on in the tournament when they face the bigger names and it is sink or swim. But Sabalenka did not have it easy. She did though in her next two rounds. Cristina Bucsa who surprisingly reached the Last 16 lost fairly easily 6-1, 6-4. While Marketa Vondrousova was also taken down albeit not in match terms as the former Wimbledon champion who produced a sublime series was unfortunately the victim of injury again.

Pegula of course was even tougher as the American looked to overturn the final loss last year in what in the end could've given the tournament an all American final. But even Pegula wasn't sure what she could do differently and was more puzzled about what she could've done.

The 20-time WTA titleholder will now compete for her 21st crown as she aims to defend the title she won 12 months ago. Despite reaching the last six finals at hard court Grand Slams, she has been vulnerable. She was defeated in the 2023 US Open final by Coco Gauff and by Madison Keys down under this year. This ended a dream of a three peat in Melbourne.

Albeit she will be favourite but only marginally given as we will get onto, their Head-to-Head which sees Anisimova especially at the start of their career develop a game which troubled Sabalenka and in reality even in recent wins, it has not been plain sailing for the top WTA star as she has found it tough to secure the win.

Sabalenka has long dominated women's tennis to the point that she has been World No.1 for a long reign and has not been troubled. But Amanda Anisimova has ventured a different path since she emerged.

The 24-year-old is a tale to get behind. As a teenager, she had the tennis world at her feet winning her first title at 18 and reaching the French Open semi-finals. She reached the top 25 in the year prior to her break.

But she became the first of a few who decided to hit pause on their career. A bold move for a player with the obvious talent that Anisimova possesses. She decided to put herself first with Garbine Muguruza albeit she has since retired and also Bianca Andreescu deciding for similar amid their own personal tennis setbacks.

After losing to Arantxa Rus in the first round of Madrid, she cut the brakes and cited burnout and concerns for her mental health as the reason behind her decision to not play from then on. But from there, she decided to enrol in college and in reality wasn't potentially a cert to even return to the sport at all.

She did though coming back in early 2024 and reached a first WTA 1000 final reemerging into the top 50 with a new perspective and a freer mind and this year has seen her win the title in Qatar as well as become a finalist at the US Open and Wimbledon. She will be top five at least by the end of the tournament and perhaps will be the next player to trouble Swiatek and Sabalenka at the top of tennis. For a player who potentially wasn't set to return, it is one of the best redemption arcs in tennis and would be capped off by a title run here especially after getting double bageled at Wimbledon by Iga Swiatek.

She has had it tough too seeing off rising Aussie, Maya Joint who has done everything but have a Grand Slam breakthrough. Jaqueline Cristian in three tough sets. Her easiest win was against Beatriz Haddad Maia but her landmark wins came against Swiatek and then Naomi Osaka. Both have been in superb form as of late. Now Sabalenka awaits.

It is 6-3 still to Amanda Anisimova in their Head-to-Head and for a long time it was all the American. She won their first four meetings and albeit many were close, Sabalenka has no answer to counter the exquisite backhand and power game that Anisimova possesses as a counter to Sabalenka's own brilliance.

Sabalenka though came back to win three out of the next five albeit Anisimova has turned the tables in big games since. She has won in Toronto last year to reach the semi-finals.

She also won at Wimbledon recently as Sabalenka was heartbreakingly denied a shot at the only Grand Slam that she has yet to make the final at as Anisimova booked her spot quite surprisingly against Iga Swiatek. Especially given that many had marked Sabalenka's card already.

So overall a prediction for this final would be expect the unexpected whether a simple win for Sabalenka, three sets or indeed Anisimova scooping the title. A real underdog story or a World No.1 continuing her dominance?