Naomi Osaka Flags Amanda Anisimova’s Chaotic Tactics After US Open Defeat: “No Pattern”

Amanda Anisimova is the only one keeping the hopes of Americans alive on their home turf. The world No. 1 did not let Jessica Pegula pass through her in the earlier semi-final match on September 4th, but Anisimova, after a hard-fought three-hour battle that could not even end on that very same day, claimed a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Naomi Osaka. A match so good, the crowd would have no nail tips left. Now, what does Naomi think of it? How good was the American to defeat her?

Naomi Oskaka was asked how big a challenge Amanda was. The journalist wanted to know if the American was a bigger challenge to the Japanese Tennis player than she had thought. The four-time Grand Slam champions answered, “I wouldn’t say it’s a bigger challenge than I expected because I kind of knew that she’s that type of player. It was just kind of funny at times because there’s no pattern to what she’s doing. Like it’s it’s kind of like she just hits at the empty quarter or whatever. Um, and it usually goes in. So, um, yeah.” Amanda Anisimova was chaotic yet unstoppable today.

Early in the match, when she was struggling to find momentum, her rhythm was still intact. She dominated the baseline, taking control of the rallies, aggressively attacking Osaka’s weaker second serve whenever she could, and keeping Osaka under pressure with her powerful, attacking style from the start of each point. The match itself was tumultuous, with no clear winner in sight until the very last round. At one stage, Osaka, seeded 23rd, was just four points away from securing her spot in Saturday’s final.

Meanwhile, Anisimova also let two match points slip through her fingers in a game where she successfully fended off two break points. The margin between them was incredibly narrow. At moments, it appeared almost inevitable that one of them would soon emerge as the victor. Take another example, Anisimova opened the game with a beautiful drop shot. Osaka scrambled to reach it but couldn’t get the ball over the net. Anisimova then erased her advantage with two wide errors.

But Osaka also added to her words, “I mean, obviously she went to the finals of Wimbledon, um, and now she’s in the finals here, so it just shows that she’s a really good player.” The American faced a crushing 6–0, 6–0 loss to Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon final, which she avenged with a 6–4, 6–3 victory over the world No. 2 in the US Open quarterfinals. Now, after the win over Osaka, she is all set to face the defending champion and the world number 1, Aryna Sabalenka. The American also had some words for the four-time Grand Slam champion as well.

Amanda Anisimova on winning the semifinals

Joining Serena Williams in records after the victory, Anisimova said of Osaka: “She’s back where she belongs. I told her I’m so proud of her after having the baby. She was really giving me a run for the final.” Osaka took a break after her daughter Shai was born in July 2023, returning to tennis at the Brisbane International in early 2024. Since then, she has won the WTA 125 Saint-Malo title, and‌ making it to the finals at Montreal and the semis of the US Open was her best yet in a major slam.

She added, “I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I just tried to stay positive. There was a lot of nerves at the beginning. This tournament means so much to me.” No one could have told where this match would have gone; it was a seesaw. One moment, it felt that Naomi was going to the finals, the other, it felt that Amanda would avenge Gauff.

Naomi Osaka’s words echoed in Amanda’s statement as well when she said, “I tried to enjoy the moment. Sometimes I was like, ‘How are we making these shots?’ This has been a dream of mine forever to be in a US Open final, and obviously, the hope is to be the champion. It’s really special.” From taking a double bagel heavy loss in the Wimbledon final to taking‌ revenge for it in front of the home crowd and going into the first finals of the US Open, it has not been a fairy tale for her, rather a beanstalk story. But would Aryana let Amanda have the title?

Never miss a beat from Flushing Meadows with the EssentiallySports Live Blog! While the ladies still battle it out for the title, we caught up with Mirra Andreeva off the court for a few exclusive minutes. Check it out: