Alcaraz vs Sinner: The best of 2025 tennis and its key figures

The 2025 professional tennis season has come to an end, and what a year we’ve had. From the domain of superstars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka, to the continuous emergence of players like Amanda Anisimova and Ben Shelton, not forgetting the return to the top of Naomi Osaka, this season has had something for all fans. Alcaraz and Sinner dominated the ATP, splitting the four Grand Slam titles, while in the WTA there was greater parity among the elite players. Four different players, Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka, won the Slams. Throughout the year, both in the ATP and the WTA, there were surprises and exciting stories. All this combined to make a memorable season. Who deserves the highest honors? We analyze the most outstanding awards of the 2025 season.

ATP Player of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz

The 2025 ATP season was defined almost exclusively by two men and their rivalry: Alcaraz and Sinner. While both stood out from the rest, with a considerable point difference between number 2, Sinner, and number 3, Alexander Zverev, the competition between the top two was fierce. Alcaraz won the French Open and the US Open, and finished the year as number 1 for the second time in his career. Sinner, for his part, took the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and ended the year with the ATP Finals title for the second consecutive season.

I don’t know how one could be chosen.

Chris Evert

Querrey and Shriver, along with this writer, felt that Alcaraz deserved the recognition, who won six other titles this year, including three Masters 1000 events. Alcaraz, who also leads the head-to-head record, defeated Sinner in four of their six encounters in 2025. Regardless of whether you believe Alcaraz or Sinner deserve this distinction, one thing is for sure: they are the best players in the world and should continue their brilliance in 2026. Even his higher-ranking colleagues seem to have accepted it.

They have played at an incredibly high level for a prolonged period of time. We’re just going to keep improving and waiting for our opportunity.

Alex de Minaur

WTA Player of the Year: Aryna Sabalenka

While there was little drama on the ATP side, in the WTA there were several women who were considered for the title this year. The Grand Slams were won by four different players, Elena Rybakina closed the year with the WTA Finals title, and others won multiple 1000-level tournaments and competed in the Slams. Despite the equality at the top of the WTA, one woman stood out slightly from the rest and was the unanimous choice for this award. Of course, that was world number 1, Sabalenka, who held the top spot throughout the season. She won the US Open, becoming the first woman to repeat as champion since Serena Williams over a decade ago, and also reached the finals of the Australian Open and French Open, and the semi-finals of Wimbledon. In addition, she won three other titles during the year, including two at the 1000 level, and played a total of nine finals. If Sabalenka played in a tournament, she was not just a contender, but a favorite for the title. For all those reasons, “she is the clear player of the year”.

She is number 1 and is totally capable of playing incredible tennis, as she did today. I give her all the credit for that. I admire her enormously; she works hard, and that’s why she’s here.

Amanda Anisimova

Revelation Moment: Madison Keys, Australian Open

With prodigious talent, turning professional at 14, it seemed inevitable that Keys would win a Grand Slam title. She came close. She reached her first Slam semi-final in 2015 and was runner-up at the 2017 US Open. But despite winning nine WTA titles and being a regular in the top 20, she couldn’t win when it mattered most. Until this year. Nearing the age of 30, Keys made a bold run at the Australian Open, defeating five seeded players, including Swiatek (No. 2) in the semifinals and Sabalenka (No. 1) in the final. In the end, Keys lifted her first Grand Slam trophy after an exciting three-set match, almost 16 years after turning professional and a decade after reaching her first semifinal.

Match of the Year: Alcaraz vs. Sinner, French Open Final

¿Was there any doubt? The first Grand Slam final between the two emerging rivals lasted five hours and 29 minutes, making it the longest French Open final in history and the second longest in a Grand Slam. It also featured one of the most incredible comebacks of all time. Sinner, playing in his second tournament after serving his three-month suspension, won the first marathon game in 12 minutes, and then largely dominated by winning the first two sets. With Sinner on his way to getting his fourth Grand Slam title, and the first at Roland Garros, Alcaraz had other ideas. That’s when the magic happened. Raising his level and feeding off the crowd, Alcaraz forced a fourth set and then saved three championship points to reach the deciding set. The momentum continued to shift in the final set, with the two exchanging one highlight-worthy point after another, before Alcaraz won in a tiebreak with a final score of 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2). It marked Alcaraz’s second consecutive French Open trophy and his fifth Grand Slam title, but more than that, it consolidated the legend of the “Big Two” and the rivalry that seems poised to shape the sport for years to come.

Most improbable victory: Valentin Vacherot, Shanghai

Arriving at the Masters 1000 level event, ranked 204th in the world and as the ninth alternate for the qualifying draw, the 26-year-old player, who had only won one match on the ATP circuit in his career, needed a miracle to be able to play in the tournament. But, after a series of withdrawals, Vacherot entered the qualifying phase and needed three sets in both matches to reach the main draw. Somehow, he found a way, and then he did the unthinkable. He defeated one seeded player after another, including Alexander Bublik in the second round, Holger Rune in the quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. And, as if that weren’t enough, he faced his cousin Arthur Rinderknech, who at the time was ranked number 40 and was hardly considered a title contender before the tournament began, in the most improbable final. Vacherot finally won the family affair and became the first Monegasque player to win an ATP title, as well as the lowest-ranked Masters champion in history. After the final, the cousins, in tears, embraced and shared kind words during an emotional trophy ceremony.

There has to be a loser, but I think today there are two winners. A family that won, and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.

Valentin Vacherot

After the fairytale victory, which more than doubled his professional earnings, Vacherot climbed in the rankings. Thanks to his participation in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, Vacherot finishes the season in 31st place and as a previously unknown figure who became a beloved figure in the sport.

Honorable mention: Victoria Mboko, Canadian Open

Ranked 85th in the world and receiving a wildcard, the 18-year-old Canadian surprised the field by defeating four Grand Slam champions on her way to winning the local 1000-level tournament. She marked her first WTA title, and her ranking rose to number 24. (She finished the season with another title and a new career-high ranking, number 18).

Star performance of the year: Taylor Townsend, US Open

Townsend has long been known to tennis fans for her talent on the singles and doubles courts, as well as her vivacious personality, but she caught the world’s attention with her incredible play and equally remarkable composure at the US Open. Townsend, who reached the number 1 doubles ranking this year for the first time, had an impressive victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, and Ostapenko aggressively confronted Townsend after the match saying she had “no class, nor education”.

Vacationing with Osaka

Townsend remained calm during the exchange and then said she wanted to make sure her young son would be proud of her if he saw a video of it.

I am very strong. I am very proud as a black woman to be here representing myself and representing us and our culture. I make sure to do everything possible to be the best possible representation every time I step on the court and even off it.

Taylor Townsend

The interaction, and Townsend’s reaction, immediately went viral, making her next match against the number 5 seed, Mirra Andreeva, a must-see event. Townsend delivered, completely dismantling the teenage prodigy in front of a passionate crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Ostapenko later apologized for her words. Townsend then lost in a thrilling fourth-round thriller against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, and reached the doubles final with Katerina Siniakova, but solidified her status as a fan favorite. She seems to have been everywhere (from the morning talk show circuit to vacationing with Osaka) since her participation in New York.

Doubles Teams of the Year: Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash; Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend

Glasspool and Cash, the world’s two highest-ranked doubles players, reached an astonishing 11 finals in 2025. They won seven titles, one of which was at Wimbledon, becoming the first British pair to do so since 1936. Neither of them had ever won a Grand Slam before, nor had they even advanced beyond the quarterfinals.

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The world’s two highest-ranked doubles players, Siniakova and Townsend, continued their successful partnership in 2025 and won their second Grand Slam title together at the Australian Open. They also reached the US Open final, the Wimbledon semi-finals and the year-end championships final, and lifted the trophy together at the 1000-level event in Dubai.

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Honorable mention: Christian Harrison and Evan King

At the start of the season, neither Harrison, 31, nor King, 33, had ever won an ATP title, but that changed dramatically during their first year together as a team. This year, they won three ATP titles, reached the semi-finals of the French Open and became the first all-American pair to qualify for the year-end ATP Finals.

Comeback Player of the Year: Belinda Bencic

Perhaps the easiest and most obvious award winner on this list, Bencic returned to competitive tennis in October 2024, just six months after giving birth to her daughter Bella. Bencic, 28, played exclusively ITF and 125 level events for the rest of the year and then made her official return to the circuit at the beginning of 2025. It didn’t take long for him to be back in top form. Weeks after the start of the season, he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, and then won the title at the 500-level Abu Dhabi Open in February. At the end of the season, he had recorded a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon, for the first time in his career, and had won another title at the Japan Open in October. He started the year ranked number 489 and finished at number 11.

Much improved: Amanda Anisimova

There are years of careers, and then there’s what Anisimova did in 2025. A strong candidate for Player of the Year, as well as for breakthrough moment and stellar performance, Anisimova lived up to the high expectations placed on her as a junior. The 24-year-old American, who took an eight-month break from the sport in 2023 for her mental health, won the then-biggest title of her career at the Qatar Open 1000 level in February and entered the top 20 for the first time. But that was just the beginning. Anisimova found her rhythm on grass, reaching the final at the Queen’s Club and then achieving a memorable upset over Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semi-finals and reaching her first Grand Slam final. She lost, surprisingly, to Swiatek, but got her revenge at the US Open. And in New York, Anisimova reached the final again. While she didn’t win the trophy, her ranking and profile continued to soar. By the end of the year, she had won another level 1000 title at the China Open, qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time (where she reached the semi-finals) and now has the highest ranking of her career, number 4 in the world. What a year, indeed. Honorable mention: Learner Tien It’s difficult to compare it to what Anisimova did, but 19-year-old Tien also had a monumental season. Ranked 121st in the world, the American overcame the qualifying rounds to make his main draw debut at the Australian Open, and what a debut. In the second round, Tien defeated former world number 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, winning the 10-point tiebreak in the fifth set. After defeating Corentin Moutet in the third round, Tien became the youngest male player to advance to the fourth round in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005. Tien would go on to defeat Zverev at the 2025 Mexican Open, becoming the youngest American man to win against a top-three player since 2001. Tien finished 2025 with his first ATP title at the Moselle Open and closed the season with a new career-high ranking of number 28.

Most challenging players at this age this year: Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams

While not at the dominant level he once held, 38-year-old Djokovic is still, without a doubt, the third-best male player in the world. Concentrating most of his energy on the Grand Slams, hoping to achieve an elusive and record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic reached the semifinals in all four in 2025, but couldn’t crack the puzzles that are Alcaraz and Sinner. Nevertheless, he won two titles this season, bringing his career total to an astounding 101. While he has been candid about the end of his career and has admitted how difficult it is to play against the “Big Two”, he wants to continue playing in 2026.

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And then there’s Williams. At 45, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion made a joyful and competitive return to tennis this year at the Citi Open after a 16-month break that had sparked speculation about her retirement. With a victory over Peyton Stearns in the first round, Williams became the oldest player to win a singles match at tour level since Martina Navratilova in 2004. Williams continued to compete at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, where she became the oldest singles player in the main draw since 1981. Williams lost in the first round in a fierce three-set battle against the 11th seed, Karolina Muchova, but then had a magical quarterfinal run in doubles with her partner Leylah Fernandez. And, improbable as it seems, Williams isn’t done yet. Earlier this month it was announced that he had accepted an invitation to play in Auckland in January, marking his thirty-third year on the circuit as a professional tennis player. If that’s not a good omen for the 2026 tennis season, we don’t know what is.