Tennis Now

25 Thoughts on AO 25

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday January 26, 2025

25 Thoughts on AO 25

It’s been an incredible start to the 2025 grand slam season down under. Memories were made, records were smashed, shocking events occurred and, most important, the good vibes of the Happy Slam were unanimous once again.

Now that the dust has settled and the trophies lifted, let’s put a bow on this baby with 25 thoughts.

Tennis Express

1 – Madison Keys is the story of this tournament. No ands, ifs or butts about it. The American took us all by surprise with her ability to manage her nerves in the biggest moments against an absolutely brutal draw. She defeated three former Grand Slam champions, and in her last two matches became the first player to defeat the WTA’s No.1 and No.2-ranked players at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005. She saved a match point against five-time major champion Iga Swiatek (becoming the 16th woman in history to win a major after facing match point, and the first woman to do so at the Australian Open since 2018) before battling past Aryna Sabalenka in a truly breathtaking final that went down to the very last game.

Keys’ breakthrough Grand Slam is an inspirational moment for anyone in any walk of life who knows they have the talent, but hasn’t seen their dream come to fruition yet. It can happen and it may happen sooner than you think.




2 That's three finals in the last five majors for Jannik Sinner. And 21 straight at the hardcourt majors. Jannik Sinner went from a player that was 0-8 against the Top 5 at the majors prior to 2024 to the most dominant hardcourt player in the sport. Now, can the Italian expand his empire to grass or clay in 2024?

Sinner has won 60 of his last 63 hardcourt matches. His next mission will be to try to become more invincible on the natural surfaces. That will be one of the key storylines of the spring and summer, as Sinner and Alcaraz continue to vie for the biggest titles.

3
Loved the effort of Aryna Sabalenka despite the loss in the final. The World No.1 has now reached five hardcourt major finals in succession and it’s hard to imagine her not winning many more major titles over the next few years.

Many went negative on Sabalenka’s dramatic racquet smash after the conclusion of Saturday’s final, but from where this writer is sitting it is just another demonstration of how much Sabalenka hates to lose. She kept her emotions under wraps throughout the final, graciously congratulated Keys at the net, why can’t we be okay with her letting off a little steam in the aftermath?

4
American Ben Shelton continues to impress at the majors. He’s a different player at the Grand Slams, especially on the hardcourt where he is now 18-6 lifetime with two semifinals and a quarterfinal to his name. He’s only 22, that next step will come for the southpaw.

5
Spare a thought for Sabalenka and Swiatek. They were both very close to winning this title and should be very proud of the way they started the season. No shame that they couldn’t tame the game of Madison Keys. Expect them to finish the season at No.1 and No.2 – not sure of the order yet.



If Novak Djokovic can stay healthy, he can definitely win a 25th major this year. That’s why he’s still out there, after all… Wimbledon? The U.S. Open? Eventually, the Grand Slam king is gonna get through three or four months with a healthy body, and if that happens, he’ll make it count on the biggest stage. It’s who is, it’s what he does. And he knows that his days are numbered. This could very well be Nole’s last season – enjoy him like crazy.

7
Staying on that same subject, let’s hope that Djokovic does it with Andy Murray by his side. It was thoroughly entertaining to watch this former rivals create a mutual brain trust in Melbourne. Watching that Pair, united and totally invested in making a run in Melbourne was one of the highlights of the Australian Open.

8
It’s a tricky time for Elena Rybakina. She came to the Australian open with two coaches, one of whom was provisionally suspended – yikes – and leaves with zero coaches. Or is it one? Let’s hope Rybakina gets through this turbulent time and settles into being the great player we know she can be.

9
Carlos Alcaraz came up short in his quarterfinal with Novak Djokovic. But don’t worry about the 21 year-old’s futture. He still has two shots to become the youngest player ever to win the career slam. And he’s still learning as he goes and improving with each passing year. Is there anybody out there that doesn’t believe Alcaraz will be a better player this time next year? He’s still getting used to the changes he made to his serve, and still gaining experience on tour.

He’s played his final Slam as a 21-year-old and winning four, that’s not bad at all…

10 
Nick Kyrgios playing elite level tennis could be a thing of the past. It was good to see him back on the court this year in Melbourne, but also a bit disappointing to recognize the fact that he’s nowhere near where he used to be.

11
Tennis needs to change the rules about VAR challenges as soon as it can. It should not be required that a player stops mid-point in order to make a challenge. Let them challenge after. It’s about getting the call right and using the technology to make the sport more fair.



12 Ageless wonder Gail Monfils was absolutely incredible in Melbourne. Is there another showman quite as captivating in the rich history of our sport? What Lamonf does to captivate us, it’s a little bit different than winning, but it’s something uniquely special and soulful. The guy is just magic and at 38, he’s miraculously good.

13
Gosh, that was a weird tournament for Daniil Medvedev. He came, he saw, he smashed a Go Pro camera and lost to a 19-year-old in the second round in five sets. Then he got fined $76K. Never a dull moment, but seriously, let’s hope Mededev finds his form somewhere down the road this season.

14
Pretty impressive that American Emma Navarro really never found her best tennis during the Aussie fortnight, yet she still won four three-setters and reached the quarterfinals. The American is pretty new at this Grand Slam game, but seems to know the lay of the land well. The future looks bright.

15
High mark’s for Belinda Bencic, who played extremely well in her first Grand Slam as a mom. There’s something pure about her ball striking and the way she cuts off the corners. We saw it in her abbreviated win over Naomi Osaka, and during her round of 16 loss to Coco Gauff. Bencic is still a threat against top players at the Slams and will remain so for sometime.

16
One of the most impressive sets of the tournament was played by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova against Aryna Sabalenka, in the second set of their quarterfinal. Everything the Russian hit turned to gold in that set. It was a magnificent demonstration of her pure ball-striking capacities, and another reminder of how many brilliant tennis players are in these Grand Slams. Not just the champions, not just the semifinalists and quarterfinalists, but littered throughout the draw – in every round there’s something magnificent to watch.



17 Case in point: Mirra Andreeva continues to make her way through Grand Slam draws into the second week. She ran into Sabalenka too early this year, but she’s on track to be one of the best players in the game for many years to come. Andreeva is still only 17 and already has reached the second week in four of her eight Grand Slam main draw appearances.

18
Paula Badosa in good health and playing at the highest level makes the top of the WTA more interesting. It appears that the Spaniard still has more unfinished business as a player. and that’s a good thing for all of us.

19
20-year-old Alex Michelsen and 19 year-old Learner Tien made the second week in Melbourne. A pleasant surprise and more proof that there is no lack of depth among the American men. Depth and competition will only make the cream of the crop rise higher.

20
Tip of the cap to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He became the first man to win back-to-back five-setters from two sets to love down at the Australian Open in 20 years. The type of story that makes the first week of a Grand Slam so unforgettable.



21 Another example of that? Kei Nishikori’s first-round win in five sets over Thiago Monteiro. Was great to see the 35-year-old in good enough shape to get it done, as he improved his legendary record in five-setters to 29 and 8. That’s the fourth best five-set winning percentage among ATP players all-time.

22
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend claimed the women’s doubles title, defeating Ostapenko and Hsieh in a three-set final. Siniakova has now won 10 major doubles titles. She’s the first player to achieve that feat since Martina Hingis at 2015 Wimbledon. Townsend has joined her for two of those title runs.

23
Japan’s Wakana Sonobe and Switzerland’s Henry Bernet took the girls and boys singles titles. Sonobe is the first Japanese girl to win the title at the Australian open, and Bernet is the first Swiss to win the boys title in Melbourne. Bernet, who hits a one-handed backhand, trains at the same academy in Basel where Roger Federer built his game.

24
Danielle Collins telling the Melbourne crowd to kiss her a** had to be one of the offbeat highlights of the tournament. The American fell to Madison Keysin the third round but she left her indelible mpression on the tournament, as she always does.

25 – Spare a thought for Alexander Zverev. After the U.S. Open in 2024, he was extremely disappointed in his performance and made a point of practicing and working to improve his game all fall. He was frequently seen out on the practice courts working on his game after matches, even as recently as the Australian Open. It didn’t pay off in terms of a major title, but it’s definitely the reason the German is one of the most menacing forces in the men’s game right now.

He may be one of seven ATP players in the open area that has lost his first three major Grand Slam finals, but he can hold his head high just for getting there.

 

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