Tennis Weekly · Passing Shot Productions

US Open Women's Final Preview - Anisimova wins Osaka epic as Sabalenka edges Pegula in semi

·34 min·3 clips

Anisimova outlasts Osaka in a late-night epic, setting up a thrilling US Open final against Sabalenka.

This episode previews the US Open women's final between Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka following their dramatic semi-final victories. Hosts Joel and Chris analyze both semi-finals and make their championship predictions. Anisimova defeated Naomi Osaka in a three-set epic, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, in a late-night match that finished around 1 AM local time. Sabalenka came from a set down to beat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, maintaining her streak of reaching every hardcourt slam final since 2022. The hosts note Anisimova hit 50 winners against Osaka and targeted her second serve, winning 67% of those points. They discuss Anisimova's remarkable turnaround after her devastating loss in the Wimbledon final just weeks prior. Chris suggests Sabalenka can struggle when opponents take the racket out of her hand, which is a strength of Anisimova's game. Anisimova leads the head-to-head against Sabalenka 6-3, including a win in their Wimbledon semi-final earlier in the year. The panel debates who will feel more pressure, with Joel arguing Sabalenka faces greater expectation as world number one without a slam title this season. Chris predicts Anisimova will win the final in three sets, citing her momentum and favorable head-to-head. Joel predicts Sabalenka will win in two tight sets, believing her experience and motivation will be decisive. They briefly touch on Osaka's future, speculating she could win the Australian Open in 2026 following her strong US Open run. The tone is conversational, analytical, and enthusiastic, blending match breakdowns with narrative storytelling about the players' journeys. Tennis fans who enjoy deep tactical analysis and the psychological drama of a major final will love this episode. Listeners seeking a broad sports show or exclusive interviews might want to skip it.

As heard by us

Two semifinals, one final preview, and a discussion that keeps the pressure in view from start to finish.

The segment lands where tennis starts to matter most: after two high-level semifinals, Joel, Kim, and Chris trace how Anisimova outlasted Osaka in a late-night battle and how Sabalenka had to steady herself against Pegula.

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Why you'd press play

You want the women’s final mapped after two semifinals with real bite.

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