The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year, the most prestigious type of tournament along with the US Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. It takes place in Melbourne, Australia, and consists of 128 competitors in both the men’s and women’s draws. Notable male players included defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner (ITA), Alexander Zverev (GER), and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic (SRB). On the women’s side, top players included defending champion Aryna Sabalenka (BEL), Iga Świątek (POL), and Coco Gauff (USA). The tournament set record attendance numbers both in person and on streaming services, garnering 1.2 million live spectators and 89.8 million hours of viewership in Australia alone. The favorites going into the tournament were Sinner, who had an incredible 2024, winning two Grand Slams, and Sabalenka, who similarly won two Grand Slams. Sinner ultimately claimed the title, while Sabalenka fell short in the final, losing to Madison Keys (USA) in a shocking upset.
The men’s side was fairly straightforward, with only a few upsets taking place and almost all of the top players going deep into the tournament. There was one outlier who made it to the semifinals—Ben Shelton (USA)—who defeated Gaël Monfils (FRA) in the quarterfinals but lost to Sinner in the semifinals. Shelton has been steadily rising in the rankings, with this being his second Grand Slam semifinal at only 22. The tournament was also a breakthrough for another young player, João Fonseca (BRA), who made the fourth round at only 18, and Learner Tien (USA), who defeated world No. 5 Daniil Medvedev (RUS) in the second round. Novak Djokovic, who holds the most Australian Open titles of any player, unfortunately had to retire in the semifinals against Zverev due to a leg injury. In turn, Zverev made his third Grand Slam final but lost to Sinner in four sets. Sinner is expected to build on his victory and extend his dominance from 2024 into 2025.
The women’s side was more volatile, with many upsets and surprises throughout the tournament. Madison Keys, ranked No. 14, had one of the toughest draws in Grand Slam history, defeating the world No. 1, No. 2, former world No. 3, No. 6, and No. 10. She is the first player to defeat the No. 1 and No. 2 in a Grand Slam since Serena Williams in 2005. The victory was especially significant for Keys, as she is in the later stages of her career at 29, and it was her first Grand Slam final since the 2017 US Open. Paula Badosa (ESP) also made her mark in the tournament, making the semifinals and propelling herself back into the top 15 in the rankings. She had once been the world No. 2, but after being sidelined by injury for almost two years, she dropped outside the top 100, so making the semifinals here puts her in a position to potentially return to the top 10. For Iga Świątek, ranked No. 2, making the semifinals was also a great accomplishment, finally seeing success outside of slow hardcourt and clay, as the Australian Open is considered a very fast hardcourt. The champion, however, credits her win to therapy and a change in mindset and is expected to have even more success this year.
The 2025 Australian Open delivered a mix of expected dominance and unexpected triumphs, making for one of the more exciting Grand Slams in recent history. Jannik Sinner reinforced his position as the No. 1 player in the world, Madison Keys’ breakthrough showed that years of perseverance and hard work can lead to great success. Both champions will look to take their momentum into the other Grand Slams and the remainder of the year.
