By William Loughnan, Year 12
The 2025 Australian Open ended with nail-biting finals in both men’s and women’s singles, full of talent and milestones in tennis history.
Starting off with the men’s final, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. The final result in the men’s category at this year’s Australian Open reads: World No. 1 Sinner back-to-back, defeated Zverev in straight sets 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 6–3 to seal a third Grand Slam title, the first Italian player – male or female – to achieve such a feat.
Sinner’s performance was power-packed, laced with powerful baseline playing coupled with his strategic acumen in play. He then dominated the first set, kept his cool to take the second in a tiebreak, and broke Zverev in the third to close out the match. It furthered his streak, with his 21st consecutive match win coming on hard courts in the majors.
Zverev, who had reached the final with a stunning victory over 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the semis, was also left searching for a response to Sinner’s relentless offense. Coming into this final, despite the loss, his journey showed how resolute and strong he has been all along, retaining his place among the stalwarts in men’s tennis.
Now looking at the women’s final, Madison Keys won her first-ever Grand Slam in the women’s final by beating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, in an extremely close three-set match 6–3, 2–6, 7–5. It was the crowning glory for Keys, who had reached the US Open final way back in 2017 but never got to lift the title.
Keys was off to a great start, as she won the first set with aggressive shot-making and precise serving. Sabalenka answered back in the second, playing with her usual power to force a deciding third set. In a tight third set, Keys broke Sabalenka’s serve late to win the championship.
Sabalenka fought with the best spirit throughout the match as she looked to win her third consecutive Australian Open title, but Keys was more determined and tactically sound for the victory that finally gave the women’s circuit a new Grand Slam champion.
This year’s AO was filled with memorable moments and incidents. Firstly, not without controversy, the victory saw Sabalenka fined $20,000 after her defeat for smashing her racket in frustration – one of several fines levied throughout the event on unsportsmanlike conduct. Next, a protester disrupted the men’s final on Sunday by shouting an allegation concerning Zverev’s personal life during the trophy presentation ceremony. The protester was removed with the presentation ceremony continuing uninterrupted thereafter.
The consequence of Keys’s victory included a surprise turn of events-in view of the WTA rules. Her rise to World No. 7 post-Australian Open victory made her ineligible for the upcoming WTA 250 event in Austin because the WTA allows only one top-10 player per 250-level tournament, and Jessica Pegula of No. 6 ranking had already entered.
The 2025 Australian Open will be remembered for high-caliber matches, historic achievements, and the emergence of new narratives in the tennis world. Both finals underlined depth of talent in the sport and set the stage for an exciting season ahead.
