'Sincaraz' rivalry lights up men's game

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner turned 2025 into a gripping tug-of-war for tennis supremacy by carving up the Grand Slams for a second straight year, while the women's game showcased depth and drama with four different major champions.

Sinner's dominant victory over Alexander Zverev at the start of the season helped him retain his Australian Open title and become the first Italian to capture three majors, moving past Nicola Pietrangeli who won back-to-back French Opens in 1959-60.

What followed after Sinner's three-month ban in February for anti-doping violations in 2024 was nothing short of spectacular, as he took his era-defining rivalry with Alcaraz to the biggest stage in an epic five-set Roland Garros final.

Alcaraz ultimately prevailed after saving three match points — one of the sport's great comebacks in the longest Paris final at five hours and 29 minutes — with the Spaniard establishing himself as the "Prince of Clay" in the post-Rafa Nadal era.

The "Sincaraz" slugfest continued in the Wimbledon final, where Sinner avenged his painful defeat by beating Alcaraz to raise his first trophy at the famous All England Club, perfectly setting up their inevitable US Open showdown.

After thumping Novak Djokovic in the semifinal to prolong the Serb's wait for a record 25th major title, Alcaraz dazzled under New York's lights to dismantle Sinner in the final and tighten his grip on their rivalry.

"I give 100 percent every day to improve ... to see what I can do better to beat Jannik and win these kinds of trophies," Alcaraz said after his second US Open triumph.

"Having this rivalry means a lot. It's super special for me, for him and for people who enjoy it every single time we play."

Career grand slam

With six Grand Slam titles under his belt to Sinner's four, Alcaraz will look to eclipse Nadal and become the youngest man to complete the set by winning every major when he heads Down Under in the New Year.

Melbourne provided the biggest surprise in the women's game, as Madison Keys dethroned Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title at 29, the American becoming the fourth-oldest first-time major champion in the professional era, which began in 1968.

Coco Gauff hoisted the French Open trophy, beating Sabalenka in the final to give American fans another reason to celebrate, but Amanda Anisimova endured a brutal reality check in the Wimbledon final, where Iga Swiatek triumphed without dropping a game.

Anisimova shrugged off the double bagel and reached the US Open final, only to suffer more heartbreak, as Sabalenka proved too strong in a big-hitting battle to retain her title, taking her Grand Slam tally to four.

Sabalenka's hopes of finishing the season with another title were dashed when the world No 1 was comprehensively beaten in the WTA Finals decider, where Elena Rybakina pocketed $5.235 million after a flawless Riyadh campaign.

Larger prize pots were a major talking point through the season as the Professional Tennis Players' Association filed a lawsuit against the sport's stakeholders, while leading players wrote to the Grand Slams seeking a bigger slice of the pie.

While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.

The 38-year-old Serb limited his appearances, but sparkled with his 100th career title in Geneva and his 101st in Athens, where he paid an emotional tribute to his former coach Nikola Pilic, who died in September aged 86.

The tennis world was in mourning again following the death of Pietrangeli aged 92, shortly after Italy retained the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup trophies and Sinner beat new world No 1 Alcaraz to retain the ATP Finals title.

Reuters