With her smart serving, aggressive return game and well-timed breaks, Amanda Anisimova wrapped up a solid straight-sets win, demonstrating her dominance in key moments to overcome Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the Qatar 2025 final.
Anisimova Edges Ostapenko in a Tight First Set Battle
Ostapenko started the match strong, holding serve in the opening game despite a late push from Anisimova. The American responded confidently, holding her own serve to level at 1-1.
The third game turned into a tense exchange as Ostapenko battled through multiple deuce points before finally holding to take a 2-1 lead. However, Anisimova responded emphatically, dominating her next service game with a love hold to tie things up at 2-2.
The first major turning point came in the fifth game. Anisimova applied heavy pressure on Ostapenko’s serve, securing her first break point at 40-0. Ostapenko fought back but couldn’t recover, surrendering her serve as Anisimova took a 3-2 lead. The advantage was short-lived, as Ostapenko immediately broke back, punishing Anisimova’s serve to level the score at 3-3.
Ostapenko built on her momentum in the next game, breaking again to move ahead 4-3, but her lead didn’t last long. Anisimova struck back with a crucial hold at 4-4 before once again breaking Ostapenko to edge ahead 5-4, putting herself in prime position to serve for the set.
With confidence on her side, Anisimova controlled the final game, sealing the set 6-4 with a steady service hold, converting her first set point to take a one-set lead.
Anisimova’s ability to capitalize on key break opportunities made the difference, setting the stage for a high-stakes second set in this evenly-matched contest.
Anisimova Closes Out Ostapenko Thanks to Solid Serving
Ostapenko once again opened the set by holding serve, taking a 1-0 lead after a steady game. However, Anisimova showed resilience, surviving a tight second game that saw multiple deuce points before she held to level at 1-1.
The match quickly turned into a battle of breaks, with three consecutive service games lost. Anisimova struck first, breaking Ostapenko at love to take a 2-1 lead, only for Ostapenko to respond immediately with a break of her own, bringing the set back on serve at 2-2.
The next few games saw both players battling to hold serve. Ostapenko moved ahead 3-2 after a lengthy service game featuring multiple break opportunities, but Anisimova responded with a strong hold to level at 3-3.
Anisimova then applied pressure in the crucial seventh game… which was also interrupted by rain in Doha. Despite Ostapenko fighting off multiple break points, Anisimova finally broke through, gaining a key advantage at 4-3. With the momentum shifting in her favor, the American held serve efficiently to extend her lead to 5-3, putting herself one game away from victory.
Ostapenko, now serving to stay in the match, found herself under immediate pressure. Anisimova pounced on her opponent’s second serve, forcing errors and earning a match point at 40-15. Although Ostapenko saved one, she couldn’t fend off the second, handing Anisimova the decisive break to seal the set 6-3.
Anisimova Enters WTA Top 20
This victory pushes Anisimova into the WTA top 20 for the first time, lifting her to World No. 18. Remarkably, she reached this milestone as the lowest-ranked player to ever win the Qatar Open, defeating six top-40 opponents along the way.
Anisimova’s path has been filled with challenges, including a break from the sport in 2023 due to mental health struggles, which caused her ranking to drop to 359. Her comeback, highlighted by this prestigious title, showcases her resilience and potential to rise further in the tennis world.