{"id":220237,"date":"2025-09-12T07:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T07:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/220237\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T07:00:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T07:00:13","slug":"what-amanda-anisimova-was-doing-at-the-us-open-that-was-better-than-jannik-sinner-carlos-alcaraz-and-aryna-sabalenka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/220237\/","title":{"rendered":"What Amanda Anisimova was doing at the US Open that was better than Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amanda Anisimova may have missed out on the US Open title, but she still left her mark in New York City.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After suffering a devastating 0-6, 0-6 defeat in the Wimbledon<\/a> final, Anisimova returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open with a point to prove.<\/p>\n

Defeating Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka<\/a> in back-to-back matches, the American qualified for her second major final in a row.<\/p>\n

\"AmandaPhoto by Robert Prange\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Coming up short in a much closer final, Anisimova lost to Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>, 3-6, 6-7 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on Anisimova\u2019s efforts at Flushing Meadows, one top ATP<\/a> coach has claimed the 24-year-old was hitting one shot better than anyone else in tennis during the US Open.<\/p>\n

Simon Rea says the numbers prove Amanda Anisimova\u2019s backhand is the best in the world<\/p>\n

During the latest episode of \u2018The Tennis\u2019 podcast, Nick Kyrgios\u2019<\/a> former coach, Simon Rea, shared some remarkable statistics about Anisimova\u2019s backhand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you think about ball speed, 123 kmh on the backhand side, her opponents, when you group all seven of them together, when you group them together on the backhand side and average it, they averaged 105 kmh, that\u2019s 20 ks an hour [difference] on the backhand side,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hit the ball at the US Open harder than [Aryna] Sabalenka by 10ks, harder than [Jessica] Pegula by 10ks, harder by Jannik Sinner<\/a> off the backhand wing by three ks, when I say harder, I mean faster, faster than [Carlos] Alcaraz, faster than [Novak] Djokovic, faster than Iga Swiatek.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one in the world of tennis hits a backhand faster than Amanda Anisimova, no one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly impressed, Australia\u2019s Billie Jean King Cup<\/a> captain, Nicole Pratt, had this to say.<\/p>\n

\"AmandaPhoto by Robert Prange\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHer backhand is the best in the world. It is off the charts, her numbers\u2026 we talk about speed of shot, the highest of men and women, it\u2019s world class,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur players [Kimberly Birrell\/Maya Joint] did as good a job as they could, but your game plan, against [Amanda] Anisimova\u2026 Do not hit it to her backhand, unless you can hit there with purpose, it\u2019s pretty simple, but it\u2019s very difficult to keep it away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a cannon, the sound\u2026. Anyone out there, Australian Open 2026, get courtside to Anisimova because the backhand is a thing of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of game plans, Rea couldn\u2019t understand what Iga Swiatek<\/a> was doing during her quarterfinal clash with Anisimova.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a comparison of Iga Swiatek and Anisimova at Wimbledon, which was the 6-0, 6-0 match, and then the US Open<\/a>, where she managed to turn it around. Iga won 33% of her second serve points when they played at the US Open, at Wimbledon it was 63%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went back and had a look at where she was serving, at Wimbledon, directing nearly every second serve at the Anisimova forehand. For some reason, a reason unknown to any of us, straight into the Anisimova backhand at the US Open, and that\u2019s where good players go to die.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you serve second serves at the Anisimova backhand, it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was, for me, the number one factor in reversing the fortunes of that matchup.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a chance Anisimova and Swiatek could face off again in the upcoming Korea Open WTA 500 event, although that won\u2019t happen now, following the American\u2019s withdrawal\u2026<\/p>\n

When will Amanda Anisimova return to the WTA Tour after Korea Open withdrawal?<\/p>\n

Anisimova will join the rest of her WTA Tour rivals at the mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing, China, later this month.<\/p>\n

Competing as the number-four seed, Anisimova will hope to improve upon her run to the last-16 in 2024.<\/p>\n

Top eight seeds at the China Open<\/p>\n