IDNN Tennis Desk
World No.1 retains title, banks $5m as $90m purse sets record
Aryna Sabalenka sealed back-to-back US Open titles with a straight-sets victory over Amanda Anisimova, 6–3, 7–6(3), becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2013–14) to retain the crown in New York. The world No.1’s serve-plus-first-strike pattern blunted Anisimova’s heavy ball, and when the second serve arrived, Sabalenka feasted — flipping pressure points her way.
The final turned on composure. Anisimova flashed 22 winners but leaked errors at pivotal junctures, including seven double faults, while Sabalenka rode out early turbulence to boss the tie-break, extending a season-long dominance in breakers. The victory delivers a $5m champion’s cheque as the US Open lifts its total purse to a record $90m — the largest in Grand Slam tennis.
On the men’s side, No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and No.2 Jannik Sinner meet for the title, continuing a rivalry that has defined the 2025 majors. The winner will match Sabalenka’s $5m haul, with seven-figure payouts from the semifinals downward underscoring the tournament’s financial leap year-on-year.
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