The 2025 Australian Open (AO) ended on Sunday, January 26, concluding two weeks of exceptional tennis played under Melbourne’s sweltering summer heat. The first Grand Slam tournament of the year brought 15 days of tense rallies, thrilling tiebreakers, the emergence of new talent and the continued dominance of several established champions. As the excitement of victory fades and Rod Laver Arena again rests alone, we reflect on highlights that made this tournament memorable.
American Madison Keys earned her first Grand Slam title, defeating the two-time AO defending champion and women’s singles World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tense 7-5 third set. Each hit 29 winners, with Keys winning merely one point more than Sabalenka (92-91). The 29-year-old American displayed remarkable mental toughness, enabling her to break through years of near success and achieve the goal of her childhood dreams: winning a Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka entered the tournament as the clear favorite but faced a disappointing conclusion to her successful run. Having won 20 consecutive matches at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka was on track to become the first woman in 26 years (since Martina Hingis) to win three successive Australian Opens. Following her loss, Sabalenka proceeded to smash her racket, take a seat on her bench with a towel covering her head and then briskly exit the court before the trophy ceremony. She later comments on her actions, stating, “There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy…I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end, just so I could give a speech [and] not stand there being disrespectful.”
Men’s singles World No. 1 Jannik Sinner finished his excellent AO run with a dominant performance against Alexander Zverev in which he faced no breakpoints, a feat achieved only by Roger Federer in 2003 at Wimbledon and, subsequently, Rafael Nadal at the 2017 US Open. This was the Italian’s second Australian Open title and third major. Since the 23-year-old replaced Novak Djokovic as World No. 1 in June 2024, he’s won a record-tying (Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Conners) 47 of 50 matches.
In Djokovic’s quest for his 25th Grand Slam title, the 37-year-old Serbian suffered a severe hamstring tear, forcing him to retire early from the semifinal match against Zverev, paving the way for Zverev to enter his third Grand Slam final. While there is no doubt Zverev earned his place there, it’s unclear whether the final outcome would’ve been the same with Djokovic in full health.
Naomi Osaka faced a gut-wrenching return to the Australian Open, being forced to retire after the opening set of her third-round match against Belinda Bencic due to an abdominal strain. This was the 27-year-old’s first time competing in a Major since 2022 as a result of mental health breaks and pregnancy. After just 57 minutes of play and losing the first set in a tiebreak 6-7 (3), the former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion made the difficult decision to withdraw from the match.
With record crowds exceeding 1.2 million people throughout the tournament, players have voiced anger with the disruptive nature of rowdy attendees at this year’s Australian Open—from fans booing Djokovic after his retirement to a spectator shouting over domestic abuse allegations during the men’s singles trophy ceremony. The newly added terrace bar on Court 6, colloquially known as the “party court,” also generated excessive noise, forcing officials to move matches on neighboring courts mid-set.
Amid this mayhem, the tournament saw its share of surprises. Serbian Olga Danilovic boosted her ranking by 12 spots after defeating World No. 7 Jessica Pegula in straight sets as perhaps the most memorable win of her career. Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev also suffered unexpectedly early losses, succumbing to 19-year-old Learner Tien and 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, respectively.
With the 2025 Australian Open now over, a legacy of unforgettable results remains. The tournament highlighted the success of repeated champions, rising stars and thrilling comebacks, while the globally recognized Djokovic and Osaka faced heart-rending setbacks. Keys’ breakthrough victory was inspiring after years of struggles, representing a new phase in her career. Jannik Sinner’s dominance was again displayed as he defended his rank while budding talents like Ben Shelton and Learner Tien revealed their potential. Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend continued their Grand Slam success in women’s doubles, while Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara prevailed in men’s doubles. The mixed doubles final consisted solely of Australians, with John Peers and Olivia Gadecki securing the title in a match tiebreak.
