Thursday hosts the women’s singles semifinals, as well as the semifinals in men’s doubles.
The women’s singles semifinals feature the two best WTA hard court Major players of the past seven years, who combined have won seven Slams on this surface. Each of them face an American who is looking to reach their second Major final.
In a rematch of last year’s US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka takes on Jessica Pegula. And a resurgent Naomi Osaka plays Amanda Anisimova, who upset Iga Swiatek on Wednesday.
Plus, the men’s doubles semifinals feature many Major champions, as well as an American Cinderella story.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Jessica Pegula (4) – 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
In last year’s championship match, Sabalenka defeated Pegula in two tight sets, with each set decided by a score of 7-5. That’s one of three American hard court finals these players have contested within the last 13 months, and Aryna has taken them all in straights. Overall she leads their head-to-head 7-2, which includes seven straight-set victories for Sabalenka.
Jess has played Aryna closely, but when it gets to the end of sets, her inferior power doesn’t allow her much control over the outcome. So if Sabalenka plays relatively well, she should win again in this semifinal. However, there are three variables that could impact proceedings on Thursday night.
Aryna received a walkover in the last round, from an injured Marketa Vondrousova, so the defending champion hasn’t played a match since Sunday. We’ve often seen how such a long layoff in the latter stages of a Major can negatively impact a player’s performance, as it throws off the rhythm of these creatures of habit.
And Sabalenka has suffered three stinging losses at Majors this year, all coming against Americans. It was Madison Keys in Melbourne, Coco Gauff in Paris, and Amanda Anisimova in London. There has to be some doubt in Aryna’s mind following those upsets, and it will only grow when playing another American, especially considering the third variable not in Sabalenka’s favor: the New York crowd will firmly be supporting her opponent, and they often have a considerable influence over US Open matches.
Pegula did not come into this fortnight with much confidence, as she underperformed this summer following a shocking first-round loss at Wimbledon. But she has played herself into form since this tournament began, advancing without dropping a set, which includes a strong 6-3, 6-3 victory in the last round over Barbora Krejcikova. So while Sabalenka remains the favorite, if Pegula isever going to defeat her in a big match, this may be her best opportunity.
Naomi Osaka (23) vs. Amanda Anisimova (8) – Last on Arthur Ashe Stadium
This is a very different Naomi Osaka than we’ve seen these last few years, as she’s rediscovered the form that won her four Major titles between 2018 and 2021. Switching coaches this summer, from Patrick Mouratoglou to Tomasz Wiktorowski, has brought renewed confidence and focus to Naomi’s game. Wiktorowski is the former coach of Swiatek, and Osaka has delighted in how positive he is, using terms like “a teddy bear” and “a safe space” to describe his coaching style.
Anisimova has also embraced a more positive approach to her tennis, since taking an extended leave from the sport, as competing was hurting her mental health. And 2025 has easily been her best season, with her first WTA 1000 title, a Wimbledon final, and now a US Open semifinal. On Wednesday, Amanda played excellently to overcome an in-form Swiatek in straight sets, just two months after getting double-bageled by Swiatek in the Wimbledon final. Many have described the way Anisimova quickly bounced back from that demoralizing loss on such a big stage as one of the best efforts they’ve ever seen on a tennis court.
However, Amanda is now faced with coming back just 24 hours after such a monumental win to play another of the biggest matches of her career. And facing Naomi in the last three rounds of a Major has never gone well for anyone, as Osaka is a perfect 13-0 when advancing beyond the round of 16 at a Slam. She’s a player who feeds off momentum, and has upped her level with every round this fortnight, striking 30 winners and just 18 unforced errors on Wednesday night against Karolina Muchova.
Anisimova is actually 2-0 against Osaka, with both victories coming at Majors: the Australian Open and Roland Garros, both in 2022. In Melbourne, Amanda saved two match points to eventually prevail in a final-set tiebreak, ending Naomi’s title defense in epic fashion. It was a breakout victory for Anisimova, but it also came at a time when Osaka’s confidence was already dwindling, as 2022 was a season where Naomi struggled with her own mental health.
In this matchup, Osaka owns the edge in both movement and experience. And when’s she feeling the ball this well at this stage of a Slam, Naomi is one of the sport’s toughest outs. I favor Osaka to return to the US Open final for the first time in five years.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus (14) vs. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski (6) – Bhambri and Venus are a new partnership playing just their fifth tournament as a team. Venus was a Roland Garros champion in men’s doubles back in 2017. Salisbury and Skupski have reached four finals during 2025, including Roland Garros, but they have lost them all. Combined, the British team have won nine Majors between men’s and mixed doubles.
Robert Cash and James Tracy vs. Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (5) – Granollers and Zeballos are the reigning Roland Garros champs, and were finalists in New York six years ago. Cash and Tracy were NCAA college champs last year, and have quickly gained traction on tour, winning the title in Los Cabos this summer. Cash wrote an essay this week for usopen.org, describing how close he was to never becoming a professional tennis player, and instead planned on going to medical school, until some success last summer changed his trajectory. This is by far the biggest match of Cash and Tracy’s young careers.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
