Former Grand Slam Champion Says She Didn’t Like Amanda Anisimova’s Comments at the US Open Final

Four-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs has revealed that she didn’t like what Amanda Anisimova said after losing to Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open final. The American suffered another Grand Slam final defeat against the World No.1, just two months after losing to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

Anisimova reached her maiden major final at Wimbledon but lost the title to Swiatek 0-6, 0-6. She earned her revenge against the World No.2 at the US Open in the quarter-finals, and after that, she defeated Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals to book a place in the final. Ahead of her clash against Sabalenka, she held a favorable 6-3 head-to-head record against the World No.1.

But she was constantly under pressure as the backing of the home crowd led her to make many errors on the court. The American star coughed up 29 unforced errors, along with 22 winners. She also failed to break Sabalenka once throughout the match and fell 3-6, 6(3)-7 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After the emotional loss, she revealed during her press conference that she wants to see soon the positives of reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals. But the 24-year-old also added that she lacked the attitude to fight against Sabalenka during their final clash at the New York Grand Slam.

During a conversation on The Rennae Stubb’s podcast, Stubbs revealed that she wasn’t pleased with Anisimova’s comment after the loss. Serena Williams’ ex-coach added that she felt the American star had a couple of chances to have beaten Swiatek at the All England Club final:

I didn’t like her saying that she didn’t think she fought hard enough. I disagree. I think she handled it the best she could. In the Wimbledon final and the US Open final, she still has a lot to learn. If you look back at that final, the first game was incredible. Anisimova had a couple of break points. I think she was even up 0-30 in that game. If she had broken her serve and gone 1-0, I think we would have seen a completely different Amanda.

Nonetheless, Sabalenka became the first woman to defend the US Open title since Serena Williams in 2014. The World No.1 also claimed her fourth Grand Slam, winning two at Flushing Meadows and two at the Australian Open. But she’s yet to win a Slam on a natural surface, despite reaching the final of the French Open in June.

Tennis legend says Amanda Anisimova’s run at the US Open was the story of the tournament

Amanda Anisimova has proved at Wimbledon and the US Open that she can compete with the top players in the circuit. The 24-year-old won three Grand Slam titles en route to the final in London and New York, including Naomi Osaka. However, she failed to capture both titles, losing both in straight sets.