There were times, barely memorable now when the majors, the ATP and WTA Year-End Championships, the International Tennis Federation’s Davis and Fed Cups and a scattering of tournaments “were” the news at the end of a tennis year.
Now with the blogging, writing, television and podcasted monsoons, the scene has forever changed…
Which makes a 2025 lookback almost superfluous because so much coverage was devoted to the “Obvious”. Carlos Alcaraz, Aryana Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner’s stunning achievements along with Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek’s accomplishments, accompanied by a variety of “Touched on” topics…
Which is why “A Year That Was…” focuses on a mixed bag of items that had “By the way…” appeal to me…
Third Time…
Sinner became the third player in men’s history to participate in the four Slam finals along with the Year-End Championships in one season. Doing so, he joined Roger Federer, who realized the amazing success in 2006 and ’07 and Novak Djokovic who did it in 2015 and 2023.
Sabalenka Stats…
At the end of a season, the statistics are ledger filling. Sorting through them, three magnify how superb Sabalenka was. She was ranked No.1 for the entire year, 52 weeks and led the WTA Tour with 63 wins (but only three tournaments and a Slam).
Sabalenka established a WTA record collecting over $15 million prize money, followed by Świątek who claimed over $10 million – the first time in history that two women earned over $10 million.
Photo: Tennis Australia / Dylan Parker
Cupping…
Two-time defending champion Italy defeated Spain in the final to win the 2025 Davis Cup. Defending champions Italy defeated the US to claim the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup.
Prior to the three-peat, Italy last won the Davis Cup in 1976 and made final appearances in 1977, 1979, 80 and 1998.
Italy first won the Billie Jean Cup in 2006… repeated in 2009, ’10 and ’13. The ladies were finalists in 2007 and 2023.
With 10 combined cups, Italy has been “the country” in the 2020s.
Cash-Glasspool British First…
Jamie Murray isn’t as famous as his younger brother, Andy, but he has been in the forefront of the Britain’s outstanding showings in ATP doubles in recent years. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski have also earned accolades. But no tandem has realized the success Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool did in 2025, becoming the first all-British team to end the year ranked No. 1.
Rybakina’s Epic …
Elena Rybakina captured her first WTA Finals singles title in November going undefeated in five matches to claim the Billie Jean King Trophy. She duplicated the no round-robin losses, tournament title successes that Kim Clijsters realized in 2003, Justin Henin in 2007, Venus Williams in 2008, sister Serena in 2009, ’12 and 13, Petra Kvitova in 2011 and Elina Svitolina in 2018.
The feat was historic because she earned a women’s sports history record $5.235 million, defeating Sabalenka in the final and Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. The 26-year-old, who was the 2022 Championships Ladies Singles titlist, became the first Kazakhstani to win the WTA’s Year-End closing event.
Arneodo’s Monte-Carlo First
Being 119 years old, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Championships has a fulfilling history, but nothing more significant has ever taken place than Romain Arneodo winning the 2025 Men’s Doubles with Manuel Guinard, in only the second event they had partnered.
With the 1-6, 7-6, 10-8 victory over Cash and Glasspool, Areneodo became the first resident of Monte-Carlo to ever claim a tournament title.
Photo: Corinne Dubreuil
Magnificent…
In April 2024 Gabriela Drabrowski was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and radiation treatment and played a limited schedule.
In 2025, she was “Magnificent” winning Stuttgart a WTA 500, Cincinnati a WTA 1000 and the US Open… all with Erin Routliffe.
Family Affair
Daily Tennis Awards explained that neither of the Kudermetova sisters had ever suffered 6-0, 6-0 losses in their pro careers… until February when, without winning a game, Veronika lost to Bencic at Abu Dhabi and Polina lost to Kasatkina at Doha.
Curious…
Juan Carlos Ferrero who was honored for the second time (2022 was the first) by fellow coaches as ATP Coach of the Year (with Samuel Lopez)… and in late December was dismissed by Carlos Alcaraz, who began working with the 2005 Roland-Garros winner as a 14 year old during 2014.
Tjen Impresses…
Janice Tjen attracted notice… The Indonesian had an impressive intercollegiate career playing at the University of Oregon before transferring to Pepperdine University. She turned professional in 2024 shortly after earning a degree in Sociology in May.
With minimal WTA experience she qualified for the 2025 US Open becoming the first Indonesian woman in over two decades to appear in a Grand Slam singles main draw. She defeated Veronika Kudermetova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in the first round, which was the first victory at a major by a player from her country in 22 years. She then lost to Emma Raducanu, the 2022 US Open Women’s champion, in the second round.
Photo: Seshadri Sukumar
About a month later, Tjen won both the WTA 250 Chenni Open Women’s Singles and Doubles. The victory was made more special for the 23-year-old Tjen because she teamed with countrywoman Aldila Sutjiadi, who had been a star at the University of Kentucky.
Adding to the significance of the success, her singles ranking jumped from No. 149 entering the US Open qualifying, to No.53 at the end of the year.
Best Name…
In 2025, the best name belonged to Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, the 19-year old French player from Madagascar, who won the Sao Paulo Open Women’s Singles defeating Tjen, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Finally…
Rarely does a player who is a WTA 250 Women’s Doubles finalist receive any raves except from her family. Emily Webley-Smith was an exception…
The 41 year old, teamed with Ekaterina (Katya) Ovcharenko, with whom she had been playing since late in 2024, and lost 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 to Quinn Gleason and Elena Pridankina in the Jiujiang Open final.
After 26 years on tour this was her first final. The tale becomes more unusual due to the fact she has had multiple right ankle surgeries and overcame a septicemia infection after one, recovered from left wrist surgery (she hits a two-handed backhand), and became acquainted with tennis as a youngster, playing swingball in her backyard.
A regular contributor to Tennishead Magazine, Webley-Smith has been writing a column since 2021, focusing on the financial issues faced by players toiling in the lower professional ranks.
Her story is even more amazing when it is revealed that by the end of 2025, she had earned $454,703 in prize money in her career… and the total was augmented by the $6,400 success in China.
Little Variety…
In the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel, qualifier Reilly Opelka downed Lucky Loser Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. The two-hour and 20 minute contest featured little variety, since a combined 46 aces were hit and there was but one service break.
Turning to the women, Clara Tauson hit 26 of the 29 aces served at the ABC Classic in Auckland, for a 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 second round victory against Sofia Kenin.
In December, Alycia Parks equaled Tauson’s 2025 aces record with her own tally of 26. At Open Angers Loire Trélazé tournament in Angers, also in a second round match, she won 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 against Océane Dodin.
Photo: Laurent Lairys / ZUMA Press Wire
Extended…
In 1963, Jazz trombonist Kai Winding recorded the original “Time Is on My Side”, with the Warwick sisters Dionne and Dee Dee, and Cissy Houston singing backup. Irma Thomas recorded the complete lyrics of the song a year later… but the same year of 1964 “Time Is on My Side” was the first hit for The Rolling Stones’.
The Stones have two to three minute versions of the classic which would be side changes in the two 2025 extended encounters…
Arthur Fils edged Arthur Cazaux in three hours and 47 minutes in the round of 16, 6-7, 6-3, 7-7 contest at the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open.
Daily Tennis Awards observed that Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jaume Munar in the second round at Queen’s, 6-4 6-7 7-5 and it lasted three hours and 23 minutes after which Alcaraz wrote on the court camera as he left “3:30h? Were we on clay?”
In the second round of the Ningbo Open, Belinda Bencic scored a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 victory against Yuliia Starodubseva in three hours and 33 minutes.
Basel Age…
At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, in a 71 year old combined ages match, 37 year old Marin Čilić defeated 34 year old David Goffin 7-6, 7-5.
At the Rolex Shanghai Masters, 38 year old Novak Djokovic defeated Čilić 7-6, 6-4 and set the 2025 singles age match standard.
In a Basel doubles quarterfinal, Rohan Bopanna and Ben Shelton defeated wild cards Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, 6-3, 3-6, 10-3, in one of the tournament’s “Age Showings” – with Bopanna being 45, Mahut 43, Herbert 34 and Shelton being the baby of the group at 23.
In another noteworthy Basel result, in a first round Men’s Singles, 40-year old Stan Wawrinka defeated 26 year old Miomir Kecmanović 6-1, 7-6, in what may have been his final triumph in his home country.
Fittingly, Basel has a 2000 year history having been a Celtic settlement before becoming a Roman outpost.
Bobbleheading…
At the US Open, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in collaboration with Winners Alliance, introduced the Aryna Sabalenka, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Jasmine Paolini collection.
To celebrate her October 16th birthday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released the Naomi Osaka bobblehead – saluting the four-time Grand Slam champion, her historic rise to becoming the first Asian World No. 1 in singles and recognizing her mental health and social justice advocacy.
Sinner’s Choice…
When asked in October who he would like to play him in a movie, Jannik Sinner said… “Will Smith, why not?” And Smith, holding an AI generated Gentlemen’s Championships trophy, responded on Instagram, “I’m in!”
Watch For…
Kudos to the 2025 Next Gen ATP Championships participants and six players under the age of 20 in the WTA 100 final rankings. From all indications their play will become more story worthy in 2026.
Those in the “Watch For…” category include the 2025 Junior Grand Slam singles winners:
Australian Open – Henry Bernet and Wakana Sonobe
Roland-Garros – Niels McDonald and Renata Tagger
The Championships – Ivan Ivanov and Mia Pohankova
US Open – Ivan Ivanov and Jeline Vandromme
Photo: Juergen Hasenkopf
The major four singles finalists should also be included in the “Keeping an eye on…” group. They were:
Australian Open – Benjamin Willwerth and Kristina Penickova
Roland Garros – Max Schönhaus and Hannah Klugman
The Championships – Ronit Karki and Julieta Pareja
US Open – Alexander Vasilev and Lea Nilsson
Also keep an eye on Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic. The 17-year-old defeated 16-year-old countrywoman Laura Samson in the 2024 Roland Garros Girls’ trophy round. She was in the spotlight late in 2025, having played solely women’s events during the season to finish No. 56 in the WTA final rankings.
Dropped The Curtain…
As the year closed, attention turned to those who decided 2025 was their final year of ATP or WTA play.
Among those in the ATP ranks were Juan Sebastian Cabal, Enzo Couacaud, Welsh Hotard Kyle Edmund, Chris Eubanks, Robert Farah, Fabio Fognini, Richard Gasquet Wesley Koolhof, Nicholas Mahut Matwe Middelkoop, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Lukas Rosol, David Saye, Diego Schwartzman, Rubin Statham and Bernabe Zapata Miralle.
The WTA list included: Mira Antonitsch, Marie Benoit, Nefisa Berberovic, Mirjam Bjorklund, Ysaline Bonaventure, Eugenie Bouchard, Jada Bui, Alizé Cornet, Paris Corley, Lauren Davis, Julieta Estable, Daria Frayman, Anna Gabric, Caroline Garcia, Simona Halep, Makenna Jones, Casey Kania, Ashley Kratzer, Michaëlla Krajicek, Nadine Keller, Petra Kvitová, Karina Miller, Raluca Olaru Christine Otterbach, Pemra Ozgen, Alana Parnaby, Shelby Rogers, Nicole Rivkin, Anastasi Shoshyna, Olivia Tjandramulia, Yanina Wickmayer, and Joanne Züger.
Australia…
Mixed Doubles had historic Grand Slam status until last year when the US Open “Created an event…”, staged it not during the tournament fortnight but during “Fan Week”, a “Barnum & Bailey” circus-like activity that cluttered the leadup to the tournament… It was precedent breaking but officials sought to diminish the vandalization by trumpeting, in true New York fashion, that Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani, who also won the Roland-Garros Mixed Doubles, split the $1 million dollar prize money earned for being champions.
Vanessa Taylor and Russell Boxshall, in “Mixed Doubles Gets Turned on its Head but Experience Wins – US Open 2025”, thoughtfully detailed the tournament and the Italians’ victory in an August 19th WLM Tennis feature.
The US Open, which could justifiably be called the “Glam Slam”, wraps up the majors for the year and the Australian Open jump starts the 2026 Grand Slam season.
The AO has a glorious Mixed Doubles tradition and the event remains untampered with. The final is set for January 30th.
In 2007, Roger Federer called the AO “the Happy Slam” and the nickname became universal… And prospects for the 2026 version remain undiminished…
ATP Integrity=$$$…
In the 1996 movie classic “Jerry Maguire”, Tom Cruise, who played sports agent Maguire, exclaimed, “Show me the money!”
It is one of the best all-time catchphrases… and appears to have taken place in October when the ATP and SURJ Sports Investment, owned by the PIF company, announced that a new ATP Masters 1000 tournament would be staged in Saudi Arabia.
Through the agreement, Saudi Arabia will join the exclusive Masters 1000 club, becoming the tenth tournament alongside Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
The tournament is supposed to begin in 2028 in a city and venue that have yet to be determined.
Having been the host of the WTA Year-End Championships in Riyadh at the King Saud University Indoor Arena since 2024, the country has become a major tennis scene player.
Included in the ATP partnership, and similarly to the one with the WTA… PIF will have ATP Rankings title, and the company will partner in several ATP tour events. The Masters 1000 will also become a shareholder in ATP Media, the Tour’s global broadcast and media arm.
The Saudi’s buying into international sports has resulted in claims that such major investments, which are part of the country’s 2030 Vision economic expansion plan, are “Sportswashing” aimed at only bettering Saudi Arabia’s world image… not bringing social change.
Extras…
Daily Tennis News has produced Annual Awards since the early 2000s. An edited version of some of the 2025 highlights follows…
Grigor Dimitrov completed a career of “Grand Slam Retirements…” this past season having been forced to stop playing at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and The Championships, as he did in 2024, and at the US Open in 2025.
Photo: Brisbane International
Sara Errani won both the Roland-Garros Women’s and Mixed Doubles – the first time a player had had done so in a decade.
Errani and Jasmine Paolini won Roland Garros 11 years after Errani’s last Women’s Doubles title at The Championships in 2014, with then partner Roberta Vinci.
Roland Garros’ scheduling of night matches – every one was a men’s singles match as long as there were men’s matches available – occurred even on the Wednesday when Lois Boisson, the last French player in the singles, faced Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinal.
Corentin Moutet served underarm six times in a 7-6, 7-6 second round match at the Mallorca Championships, winning three of those points and rattling his opponent, Daniel Altmaier.
At ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Elise Mertens saved 11 match points in a semifinal against Ekaterina Alexandrova before winning 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. In doing so, she tied the record set by Zsófia Gubacsi in a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 first round win against Tamarine Tanasugarn at Roland-Garros in 2001.
Looking Forward…
In a year that was treasured in many respects and reticent in a few others, expectations for 2026 hold promise or as an unknown source said, “Expect great things and great things will happen…” and I am looking forward to what’s to come…
Title photo of Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open by Tennis Australia / Fiona Hamilton