The Naomi Osaka comeback tour at the 2025 US Open has ended, as the two-time New York Grand Slam champion and world No. 24 star ceded her Thursday semifinal to No. 9 Amanda Anisimova, who battled back to claim the 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory.
"Naomi is playing amazing tennis," the 23-year-old said of Osaka's US Open run. "She's back where she belongs. I told her I'm so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level — it's insane."
With her Thursday win, Anisimova is now the only player to ever defeat Osaka in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, semifinal, or final — ending the Japanese fan-favorite's 13-0 run in the later rounds of tennis's major tournaments.
Anisimova's US Open success is even more impressive considering the result of her first-ever Grand Slam final — a brutal 6-0, 6-0 loss at Wimbledon in July.
In a massive turnaround, Anisimova handed No. 2 Iga Świątek, the 2025 Wimbledon champion, a redemptive straight-set loss in Wednesday's US Open quarterfinals en route to reaching this weekend's championship match.
Anisimova's victory means that a US player has now competed in every women's Grand Slam final dating back to the 2024 US Open, extending the country's championship-match streak to five straight Slams.
With even more history on the line, the US rising star now has a second shot at joining No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 3 Coco Gauff in hoisting a 2025 Grand Slam trophy for the US — a feat not accomplished by any single country since Serena Williams won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2015.
How to watch the 2025 US Open championship match
Just like Keys and Gauff, Anisimova will have to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her own 2025 Grand Slam trophy — with the hard-hitting US finalist holding a 6-3 all-time record against the world No. 1 player, most recently downing the 2024 US Open champion in this year's Wimbledon semifinals.
Anisimova will battle Sabalenka in for the 2025 US Open crown on Saturday, with live coverage of the championship match beginning at 4 PM ET on ESPN.
World No. 24 Naomi Osaka is climbing the ranks, taking down No. 11 Karolína Muchová 6-4, 7-6 (7) at the 2025 US Open on Wednesday night to extend her WTA comeback run and cruise to a third career appearance in the New York Grand Slam's semifinals.
"There's been so much hard work that you guys haven't seen, but I'm just really grateful to my team, and I'm just happy to be healthy," she said afterwards.
"Last year was really, really tough for me," Osaka later told ESPN, addressing her previous stumbles. "I wished I had results, and it just kind of got into my head a lot. And this year I just, I kind of just stopped caring if I won or lost."
While the four-time Grand Slam winner continues to work her way back from the 2023 birth of her daughter, Osaka also has a notable streak on the line.
The Japanese fan favorite has never lost a Grand Slam in which she's advanced past the Round of 16, securing two US Open titles and two Australian Open trophies after making the quarterfinals in those hardcourt tournaments.
"It's been a while since I've been in this position, but I think you play the best players in the world towards the end of a Slam, and we all are hoping to achieve the same thing," the 27-year-old added after Wednesday’s victory. "So it's kind of like boxing with a tennis ball."
Osaka next faces stiff competition in the 2025 US Open semifinals, taking on No. 9 Amanda Anisimova after the US ace avenged her recent Wimbledon loss by silencing No. 2 Iga Świątek in straight sets on Wednesday.
How to watch the 2025 US Open semifinals
The 2025 US Open semifinals take over the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens on Thursday night, with defending champion No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka facing New York product No. 4 Jessica Pegula in a rematch of the 2024 US Open final at 7 PM ET.
Shortly after the first semifinal, Osaka will square off against Anisimova for the last ticket to the Grand Slam final.
Both semifinals will air live on ESPN.