The US Open women’s final ended on quite a note! Especially for Amanda Anisimova, who came into New York after a devastating loss at Wimbledon, only to conquer her home Slam once again. While she couldn’t get past Aryna Sabalenka in the final—falling to the Belarusian in straight sets in the final—her fight was clear. Not just on the last day, but throughout the tournament. She took down Slam champions like Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek, hardly breaking a sweat on her way to the final. Sure, she didn’t win the title, but there’s something about her that her rivals might not have.

What is that? Well, speaking on The Tennis podcast, Supercoach Nicole Pratt and analyst Simon Rea nailed it down. Looking at Amanda’s form, Pratt said, “Sitting courtside when Amanda Anisimova played against Kim Birrell, and then against Maya Joint, her backhand, is best in the world. It is off the charts!”

Rea echoed the point. “She hit the ball at the US Open harder than Sabalenka by 10Ks, harder than Pegula by 10ks, harder than Jannik Sinner off the backhand wing by three ks..faster than Alcaraz, faster than Djokovic, faster than Iga Swiatek. No one in the world hits a backhand harder than Amanda Anisimova. No one.” Is that true?

For the most part, yes! Shot-speed stats from the 2025 US Open revealed a wild detail. Amanda Anisimova’s backhand packs more punch than anyone else in the draw—even the men. She averaged 124 km/h, with Jannik Sinner clocking 122 km/h and Carlos Alcaraz following at 119 km/h.

Her US Open journey made a statement. The No. 14 seed opened with routine wins over Kimberly Birrell and Maya Joint before grinding through three sets against Jacqueline Cristian. In the Round of 16, she turned up the heat, blasting Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3 in one of her cleanest matches of the year. The fearless baseline firepower on both sides just clicked.

Then the stakes rose. In the quarters, she flipped the script on Iga Swiatek, avenging her Wimbledon nightmare with a sharp 6-4, 6-3 win. The semifinals tested her resolve even more. Facing a resurgent Naomi Osaka, she dug deep, rallied from a set down, and pulled off a marathon victory—6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3—in nearly three hours.

Now, even without the crown, she takes home something priceless. A new career-high ranking at No. 4, overtaking fellow American Jessica Pegula. And if that wasn’t enough, she earned high praise from Aryna Sabalenka herself.

Amanda Anisimova’s opponent leaves her with high praise

At the trophy ceremony, Sabalenka beamed and shared heartfelt praise for Anisimova. “It was crazy. All those tough lessons are worth this one. I am speechless right now,” she said. “First of all, I want to say congrats, Amanda [Anisimova], on reaching back-to-back finals on the Slams.” It wasn’t a nightmare like her Wimbledon loss to Swiatek, but Anisimova also didn’t look like the fearless force who had beaten the Pole on her way here. A cagey opener saw breaks exchanged before Sabalenka took it 6-3 as errors piled up.

The second set looked done when Sabalenka broke early, ready to shut the door. Yet Amanda Anisimova sparked late, forcing a tiebreak and igniting the crowd. Still, the pushback fell short, and Sabalenka sealed a 6-3, 7-6 win. Heading into their 10th meeting, Anisimova had led 6-3 in the rivalry with her clean ball-striking and hit-or-miss firepower. But this time, Sabalenka’s pressure kept her on the back foot.

The numbers told the difference. Anisimova struck 22 winners but sprayed 29 errors. Sabalenka went measured, with just one ace and a balanced 13 winners, 15 errors. The key stat—five of six break points converted. Sabalenka turned empathetic. “I know how much it hurts losing in the final, but trust me, the moment you are going to win your first one – and you are going to win it – you are playing incredible tennis.”

She added, “Congrats to you and your team on the things you have been able to achieve since your comeback. And, girl, you are going to enjoy it even more after this tough loss in the finals.”

Looking ahead, Amanda Anisimova has withdrawn from the Korea Open just five days before it begins. “I’m so sad to miss Korea this year, as I really enjoyed my time there last year,” she posted on Instagram. Perhaps she’ll come back stronger for the next tournament. What’s your take? Share it in the comments below!