​Wide open: On the Australian Open 

The 2025 Australian Open has pushed world tennis into hitherto uncharted territories. Jannik Sinner’s straight sets victory over Alexander Zverev made him the first man other than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to defend his maiden Major title this century. This, perhaps, is the clearest sign that the sport has decisively moved on, even as 24-time Slam winner Novak Djokovic, the last-man standing from the Big Three era, limped out of the semifinal against Zverev. Among women, Madison Keys may have become yet another first-time Major champion, but the presence of No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and No.2 Iga Swiatek at the business end shows that the women’s field is a maturing marketplace, leaving behind the turbulence of the past few years. Sinner’s success was his third straight in hard-court Slams. Such has been the World No.1’s dominance that of the 26 tournaments he has entered starting from the Toronto Masters in August 2023, he has won 14 and finished semifinalist or better in five others. Keys, in contrast, was a bolt from the blue and had last reached a Major final at the 2017 US Open. But the fact that the 29-year-old overcame Swiatek in the semifinal after erasing a match-point and thwarted Sabalenka in the final despite a stirring comeback from the Belarusian made hers a top-drawer performance.

While Sinner, on current form, appears head and shoulders above the rest of the Tour, he still has to contend with Carlos Alcaraz, his generational rival and winner of four Slams. The Spaniard may have lost in the quarterfinals to Djokovic, but he handed Sinner three of his six defeats in an otherwise sensational 2024 for the Italian. There is, however, a chance that this duel might come to an abrupt halt in April when the Court of Arbitration for Sport hears the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency against Sinner’s acquittal over two failed dope tests (March 2024). Whether this saga gives the likes of Zverev and Daniil Medvedev an opening is another thing to watch out for. The two, who looked set to take over from the Big Three only to be ambushed by Sinner and Alcaraz, have collectively won just one of nine Major finals they have taken part in. Only a title in 2025 will keep them relevant. The women’s game, which in recent times has traded predictability for novelty, might see the two aspects march in tow for the foreseeable future. Sabalenka’s consistency, Swiatek’s return — Melbourne was her best run at a Slam since January 2023 outside the French Open — and Keys’ win point in that direction.