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Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and the tour's most well-known names made headlines this year. Most of them usually made some noise due to their performances.
However, at times they found themselves mired in controversy. A competitive environment such as tennis remains a fertile breeding ground for misunderstandings and discord. It wasn't all doom and gloom as there were plenty of heartwarming tales to balance out the unpleasantness.
On that note, here's a look at the best and worst moments from the 2025 tennis season:
#1. Best: Madison Keys' long-awaited crowning moment at a Major
Madison Keys was pegged as a Major winner since she was a junior. Her results on the WTA Tour were solid once she turned pro. However, when she got a crack at Grand Slam glory in 2017, nerves crippled her and she massively underperformed in the US Open final.
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Keys got another shot at a Major this year, and this time she was prepared for it. She won the title in Adelaide at the start of the season, and carried this form into the Australian Open. She saved a match point in the semifinals against Iga Swiatek, and toppled two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Keys' performance in Melbourne was in stark contrast to how she played in the US Open final years ago. Once a bundle of nerves, this time her mental fortitude helped her secure the biggest achievement of her career.
#2. Worst: Aryna Sabalenka's unsavory comments in light of her French Open loss
Aryna Sabalenka lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final. She brushed off the disappointment and reached the French Open final a few months later. However, she blew a one-set lead and lost to Coco Gauff. Following the loss, she didn't give her opponent due credit, stating her own errors, emotions, and the conditions played a bigger role in her loss.
"At 4-1 in the first set, the wind started to get stronger. Also, I think I was too emotional. I didn't handle myself very well mentally today, so that's basically it. I was making unforced errors; I have to check the stats. I think she won the match not because she played incredibly, but because I made all those easy ball errors," Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka's comments drew universal criticism. She eventually apologized to Gauff for her remarks, and the latter confirmed the same. The two are on cordial terms despite the incident.
#3. Best: Iga Swiatek etches her name in history with her dominant Wimbledon win
Following her triumph at the French Open 2024, Iga Swiatek didn't even reach a final for the next 12 months. It was a tough period for someone who's used to dominating the tour. However, fortunes in tennis change on a dime, and that's what happened to her as well.
Swiatek reached her first final in over a year at the Bad Homburg Open, which she lost to Jessica Pegula. A fortnight later, she found herself in the Wimbledon final, her first at the All England Club. While people are used to seeing a dominant scoreline in the Pole's favor, no one expected that in a Major final.
Swiatek crushed Amanda Anisimova in the final, handing her a 6-0, 6-0 beatdown. She became the second player in the Open Era, after Steffi Graf at the French Open 1988, to win a Major final with this scoreline. The trials and tribulations of the past year vaporized in an instant, and her joy at winning one of the biggest titles in the sport in such emphatic fashion was contagious.
#4. Worst: Daniil Medvedev's lets out his wild side yet again
Daniil Medvedev's chaotic behavior has made headlines in the past. However, his unruly behavior at this year's US Open took the cake. Up against Benjamin Bonzi in the first round, the Russian found himself staring at a third consecutive first-round exit from a Major.
Bonzi got to match point in the third set, and all hell broke loose at this point. He missed a first serve and the umpire awarded him another one due to a cameraman running across the court. This ticked off Medvedev, who got into a fight with the umpire about this decision. He egged on the crowd as well, who started to jeer.
The proceedings came to a halt, and when they eventually resumed, Medvedev took the set. However, he couldn't complete the comeback, and lost the match in five sets. He was later fined $110,000 for his outburst.
#5. Best: Amanda Anisimova's rise to the top after a period of struggles
Amanda Anisimova was a highly touted prospect right from her junior days. However, personal tragedies derailed her career for a long time. She reached her maiden Major semifinal at just 17 years of age at the French Open 2019. However, her father unexpectedly passed away a few months later.
Anisimova's results over the next few years were inconsistent. After a period of struggles, she walked away from tennis in May 2023, taking time to reset during a mental health break. Her results improved upon her return in 2024. However, it was only in 2025 that she cemented her position as an elite player.
Anisimova won two WTA 1000 titles, and reached back-to-back Major finals at Wimbledon and US Open. Even though she came up short in them, she eventually finished the season ranked No. 4. After her numerous struggles, her success this year was well-deserved.
#6. Worst: Jannik Sinner's doping ban casts a shadow on his achievements
Jannik Sinner's positive doping tests in 2024 shook the tennis establishment. However, aside from docked ranking points and prize money, he wasn't penalized in any way. He defended his Australian Open title at the start of 2025, and that's when another controversy shook the world.
Sinner was handed a three-month ban for his doping violations from a year ago. For a World No. 1 to be suspended is a bad look for any sport. He continued his dominance following his return from the ban, though many, including Novak Djokovic, found the timing of the ban to be suspicious.
#7. Best: Aryna Sabalenka's redemption at the US Open
Aryna Sabalenka certainly fits the mold of a modern-day tragic hero. After heartbreaking losses in the Australian and French Open finals, she went out in the Wimbledon semifinals with another tough three-set loss. The US Open was her last shot at a Major.
Sabalenka was the defending champion in New York. No woman had defended her US Open crown since Serena Williams in 2014. Despite the pressure and visible battle scars, the Belarusian kept her composure to hoist the winner's trophy once again. Many in her position would've buckled after the near-misses she had this year. However, she proved that she's ready to rise from the ashes time and time again.
#8. Worst: Jelena Ostapenko's comments ignite a massive controversy
Jelena Ostapenko is known to be quite outspoken, a quality many find endearing. However, her comments directed towards Taylor Townsend following her loss to her at the US Open carried some serious weight behind them.
Ostapenko was irked at Townsend for not apologizing for a lucky netcord, and made her frustration clear to her when they met at the net after the match. The American gave a detailed account of the comments directed at her, which carried racial undertones.
"I mean, it’s competition. People get upset when they lose. She told me I have no class, no education, and to see what happens when we get outside the US. I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada outside the US. So let’s see what else she has to say," Townsend said.
Given the disproportionate discrimination faced by the Black community in America, any jibe regarding "education" remains a sensitive topic. This gave rise to racism accusations against Ostapenko, who took to social media to defend herself. The whole incident left a bitter taste in everyone's mouths.
#9. Best: The all-family affair at the Shanghai Masters
Cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech have been grinding on the tour for years to modest success. All of that changed during their fairytale run at the Shanghai Masters.
Both ousted eight top 20 seeded players between them to reach the final. Vacherot, who came through the qualifying rounds as well, beat his cousin Rinderknech to claim the biggest title of his career. It was a heartwarming tale of perseverance and the underdogs rising to the top.
#10. Worst: Elena Rybakina's coaching situation overshadows her achievements
Elena Rybakina's coach, Stefano Vukov, was initially banned at the start of the season by the WTA following an investigation into him However, he continued to pull the strings from behind. This caused Goran Ivanisevic, her new coach, to terminate their partnership.
Vukov was then cleared to return to the tour in August. Following her triumph at the WTA Finals, she refused to be photographed alongside the WTA CEO, believing her to be responsible for sidelining Vukov. This incident has left everyone wondering about the hold Vukov has on the Kazakh.
#11. Best: Novak Djokovic completes a century of titles
Novak Djokovic cemented his position as a legend of the sport a long time ago. His accomplishments this year only reiterated his status as the greatest player in tennis. He captured his 100th career title at the Geneva Open in May, and bagged his 101st title towards the end of the season in Athens.
Djokovic also reached the semifinals of all four Majors, becoming the oldest player to accomplish the feat. He's showing no signs of slowing down, so one can prepare to see him script history once again in 2026 as well.
