Newsletter | The 2025 Season Begins

Most of the world's best have taken to the courts around Australia as the 2025 tennis season kicks off

By Stephen Higgins | 1st January 2025

Preview image for 2025 featuring the world's best players
The players that will (probably) define the 2025 season. Clockwise from top left: Jannik Sinner, Qinwen Zheng, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek | Crosscourt View

Happy New Year readers as we start 2025. As usual with the ridiculous tennis calendar, the season is already up and running so let’s get straight to it. We’re less than a fortnight from the first grand slam of the calendar in Melbourne (starts January 12th) and players are already Down Under preparing.

Let’s take a look at the state of play for some of the superstars as we enter a new season, and ponder a few questions to follow over the next year.

ATP

World no.1 and defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner will enter the first major of the year without a warm up tournament just as he did 12 months ago. However, this time he comes in with the spectre of that looming WADA appeal over last year’s doping case.

Still to be ruled on by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the 23-year-old’s challenge atop the game could implode if he receives a lengthy ban. Until there’s a decision, the Italian will be favourite in Melbourne and elsewhere. But what psychological effect will the issue have on his game?

Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz will also enter Melbourne without a warm up event as he aims to do better than last year’s quarter-final showing. The effervescent Spaniard recently added Samuel Lopez, who previously coached Pablo Carrena Busta, to his team alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero.

One big question that will hang around until it’s answered: can Alexander Zverev win a major? The German made the second major final of his career at Roland Garros last season and he is a six-time grand slam semi-finalist. Can he take that last step at the highest level? Will Sinner or Alcaraz let him?

Speaking of winning majors. While Zverev would dearly love to win one at this point, Novak Djokovic still hopes to add one more to his outrageous collection of 24.

The 37-year-old, now coached by Andy Murray of course, did not pick up a grand slam trophy in 2024, the first time that has happened since 2017. While he did make the final of Wimbledon, the Serb was no match for an inspired Alcaraz that day. Now in the sunset of his career, can Djokovic summon enough of his old powers to nab one more grand slam before the dying of the light?

I’m also interested to see whether Taylor Fritz, now at world no.4, can make himself a significant and consistent force at hard court slams? What can we expect from inbetweeners Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas going forward? What’s the ceiling for Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul, Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti? Should France be excited - or frothing at the mouth - over the progress of Arthur Fils and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard? And will poor Andrey Rublev ever make a grand slam semi-final?

WTA

Defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has already started her 2025 campaign in Brisbane. She will be the favourite once again in Melbourne to complete the three-peat and has claimed the trophy at three of her last five events.

Meanwhile, after serving her one month doping suspension for a contaminated non-prescription medication, world no.2 Iga Swiatek is limbering up for the Australian Open at the United Cup. The Queen of Clay will hope to improve on recent visits to Melbourne as she hasn’t made the last eight there since 2022.

2025 should be a big year for last year’s Aussie Open finalist Qinwen Zheng, with the 22-year-old primed to develop into a consistent major contender. It will also be interesting to see how WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff starts the year after her late 2024 revival.

After a difficult 2024 campaign beset by injury issues, can Elena Rybakina return to her rightful place amongst Sabalenka and Swiatek? She will have intriguing help on that journey as Goran Ivanisevic has signed on to coach the Kazakh. Ivanisevic enjoyed tremendous success guiding Marin Cilic and Djokovic before. I think he might just be a great fit for the understated but highly talented Rybakina.

Other interesting questions on the WTA side include: can Jasmine Paolini cement her status atop the game or was it a golden season? What is the ceiling for throwback performer Emma Navarro, now at no.8 in the rankings? Can the uber-talented Karolina Muchova return to her top form? How much damage will big hitting Diana Shnaider do over the season? And what can Naomi Osaka accomplish in 2025?