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. 12 Amanda Anisimova is cruising through the 2025 Wimbledon field, with the 23-year-old becoming the tournament's youngest US semifinalist since Serena Williams's 2004 run on Monday.
Anisimova reached her second-career Grand Slam semifinal via a straight-set quarterfinal victory over No. 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Tuesday, setting up a Thursday semifinal meeting with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Bursting onto the scene at just 17 years old with a semifinal appearance at the 2019 French Open, Anisimova went on to step away from tennis to address burnout and mental health in May 2023.
Anisimova stepped back on the competitive court in January 2024, making her return by defeating none other than Pavlyuchenkova at the Auckland Open.
It was her first-ever WTA 1000 victory, however, that elevated Anisimova into the sport's Top 20, winning the 2025 Qatar Open in February in what's been the young US star's best pro tennis season yet.
As one of just four contenders remaining in the London Grand Slam, Anisimova will now enter the elite WTA Top 10 in the governing body's next rankings update, regardless of her final 2025 Wimbledon result.
"It's been an extraordinary year for me. So many highs. It's just been such a ride, and I've been enjoying every step of the way," Anisimova said after her quarterfinal win on Tuesday. "Even times like today, when you're not sure you're going to cross the finish line, I keep reminding myself to enjoy the moment."
How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon semifinals
Anisimova's date with Sabalenka will kick off the 2025 Wimbledon semifinals at 8:30 AM ET on Thursday, when the young US star will look to improve on her 5-3 all-time record against the world No. 1 player.
Polish phenom No. 4 Iga Świątek will then take on No. 35 Belinda Bencic in the second semi at 9:40 AM ET, after the pair down their respective quarterfinal foes No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets on Wednesday.
Live coverage of the 2025 Wimbledon semifinals will air on ESPN.