As Alexander Zverev scrambled towards the net, Jannik Sinner fired a ruthless backhand winner to seal his second consecutive Australian Open title, while Madison Keys stunned world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka a day earlier to claim her maiden Grand Slam in a thrilling three-set clash.
Over 1.2 million spectators poured through the gates of Melbourne Park, setting a new attendance record, soaking up the world-class tennis while taking advantage of the off-court facilities. The crowd’s passion occasionally boiled over, with umpires often having to restore order as boisterous Aussie fans cheered, heckled, and jeered. Danielle Collins thanked her “super-drunk” haters for funding her trip to the Bahamas with their ticket money after overcoming home favourite Destanee Aiava.
On the court, though, this year’s Australian Open was packed with drama and history-making moments. From unexpected triumphs to groundbreaking milestones, here are five key takeaways from Down Under.
It’s Sinner’s world, and we’re just living in it
Sinner’s baseline dominance, physical prowess and mental fortitude made his opponent, the world number two, look distinctly average. Zverev failed to muster a single break point and remains winless in his three Grand Slam final appearances, but all credit must go to the reigning champion.
There were questions over how Sinner would follow up his extraordinary 2024 season, which included two major trophies, six ATP titles, a Davis Cup triumph, and 73 wins out of 79 matches. Cruising to victory in the year’s first Grand Slam while only dropping two sets is certainly one way to answer.
Despite a doping ban looming over him after testing positive for clostebol in August, Sinner showed no signs of distraction. The World Anti-Doping Agency is reportedly seeking a one to two-year ban.
Sunday’s victory means that the Italian and 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz have claimed the last five Grand Slams, securing three and two respectively. Given the pair’s dominance at such tender ages, we may well be witnessing the dawn of a Federer-Nadal-esque rivalry. Bring on the Sinner-Alcaraz era.
Djokovic’s injuries are finally catching up with him
“I’ll keep striving to win more slams,” said Novak Djokovic, who was booed off the court after retiring in the semi-final. The Serb was seeking his 25th major, 11th Australian Open, and 100th career title, but was undone by a muscular tear sustained during his gruelling quarterfinal win over Alcaraz. That match on Tuesday left its toll, and he hadn’t hit a ball until just an hour before Friday’s clash.
Djokovic has played through his fair share of injuries in recent years. In 2021 he defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his ninth Australian Open, despite tearing an abdominal muscle in the third round. More recently, he underwent knee surgery in June last year to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, only to reach a Wimbledon final a month later, and claimed gold in the Paris Olympics men’s singles for Serbia.
But at 37 years old, can history’s most decorated player fully recover from this setback? His pulsating four-set win over Alcaraz underscored his enduring class, so fitness will be the defining factor as he enters the twilight of his illustrious career.
This marks the second time Djokovic has been forced to withdraw in the last four Grand Slams, and he openly acknowledged that statistics are against him at his age. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to count the Serb out just yet.
We love an underdog story
Madison Keys’ only previous major final appearance was back in 2017 when she was denied a US Open title by Sloane Stephens. Since then, the American has endured a turbulent career, battling injuries and inconsistency.
It seemed Keys had missed her opportunity to taste victory in a Grand Slam. Deemed a child prodigy after becoming the youngest to win a WTA match at 14, she was destined to win major titles. Yet by 29, she had reached five Grand Slam semi-finals and just the one aforementioned final.
After an upset win against second seed Iga Swiatek in the last four, overcoming world number one Sabalenka would surely be too big a task. But in a display of fearless, aggressive ball-striking, Keys overpowered and dethroned the reigning champion, sending shockwaves across the tennis world.
She became the second-oldest woman in the Open Era to claim a maiden Australian Open title, the oldest American to win her first Grand Slam, and the oldest player to defeat the world No.1 and No.2 at a major tournament.
A mixed bag for British players
This year’s Australian Open marked the first time six British players won their first-round matches. Of the eight athletes that qualified for the singles, Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie couldn’t make it past the first round, while Jodie Burrage and lucky loser Harriet Dart bowed out in the second round.
Katie Boulter’s second-round exit to Veronika Kudermetova was disappointing for the British number one, who was seeded at a Slam for the first time boasting a superior world ranking (22) to her opponent’s (77). We then wondered if this could be the comeback tournament for Emma Raducanu, who breezed past the first two rounds without dropping a set. However, she suffered a 6-0 6-1 defeat to Swiatek, the heaviest Grand Slam defeat of her career.
Jack Draper carried the weight of the nation’s expectations as British number one and 15th seed. Having reached the US Open semis and winning his first two ATP Tour titles in his breakthrough season in 2024, there was a lot of excitement around the 23-year-old. His preparation was disrupted by injury, as he withdrew from the United Cup with a hip issue
Draper reached the fourth round for a tasty encounter with Alcaraz but was forced to retire after losing the first two sets. Since his ATP debut in 2021, he has retired from eight tour-level matches, second only to Grigor Dimitrov (9). The talent is there, so it feels like his legacy will be defined by fitness.
The story of the tournament from a British perspective was Jacob Fearnley. The Scot was ranked 646th in the world a year ago, and now sits 92nd, marking one of the fastest rises into the top 100 on the ATP Tour.
The 23-year-old triumphed over Nick Kyrgios in straight sets in a hostile atmosphere and got past Arthur Cazaux 3-1, before suffering defeat to eventual runner-up Zverev. Given his meteoric rise and tenacity on the court, it will be intriguing to see where Fearnely goes from here.
Fonseca: remember the name
When the teenager knocked out ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the opening round of his debut Grand Slam, Alcaraz predicted Joao Fonseca will soon be on the “list of the best players in the world”. Over the fortnight, the 18-year-old’s Instagram followers increased by over 450,000; a testament to how much he captured the imagination and attention of global tennis fans with his vicious ball-striking and featherlight drop shots.
The Brazilian broke into the top 100 rankings, rising 552 places – 651 to 99 – in just 12 months. Fonseca burst onto the scene in 2024, winning the Next Gen ATP Finals, two Challenger Tour titles, and qualified for the Australian Open in three rounds without dropping a set. After toppling Rublev, he extended his winning streak to 14.
Facing Lorenzo Sonego in the second round, Fonseca confessed: “To be honest, I did get nervous.” The sudden hype and media attention would understandably be overwhelming for the teenage sensation, but it seems inconceivable that Fonseca won’t continue to climb the ranks and thrill tennis audiences for years to come.
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