Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to become the first woman to win consecutive U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams.

The top-ranked Belarusian nearly squandered the match while serving for victory, missing a crucial overhead.

Sabalenka avoided becoming the first woman to lose three major finals in one season since 2006.

NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka did not make many mistakes — well, until near the end — despite not sacrificing any power, and outplayed Amanda Anisimova for a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in the U.S. Open final Saturday, making her the first woman to win the tournament in consecutive years since Serena Williams more than a decade ago.

The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka picked up the fourth Grand Slam title of her career, all on hard courts. This was not all sm

See Full Page