The 2025 professional tennis season has come to a close, and what a year it was.
From the dominance of superstars Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, to the continued emergence of players like Amanda Anisimova and Ben Shelton and the return to the top of Naomi Osaka, this season truly had something for everyone.
Alcaraz and Sinner all but ran the ATP -- the pair split all four of the major titles -- but there was considerably more parity among the elite women of the WTA Tour. Four different players -- Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka -- won the Slams. And throughout the year, in both the ATP and the WTA, there were a number of surprise victors and compelling storylines. It all combined to make one very memorable season.
Who deserves to take home the top honors? ESPN's Chris Evert, Sam Querrey and Pam Shriver voted on who should be named the ATP and WTA Players of the Year. And we couldn't help but bestow some more titles on some of our other (perhaps slightly less-quantifiable) favorites from the year.
ATP Player of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz
The 2025 ATP season was defined almost exclusively by two men and their rivalry: Alcaraz and Sinner. And while those two set themselves apart from everyone else -- more points separate No. 2 Sinner from No. 3 Alexander Zverev (6,340) than distance Zverev from the 1,000th-ranked player (5,145) in the world -- very little differentiated the Big Two from one another. Alcaraz won the French Open and the US Open and ended the year at No. 1 for the second time in his career, and Sinner was victorious at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and finished the year with the title at the ATP Finals for the second consecutive season.
In fact, the margin was so miniscule, Evert said she simply couldn't pick between them and declared it to be a tie. "I don't know how you could pick one," she said.
But Querrey and Shriver (and this writer) felt differently and ultimately gave the ever-so-slight edge to Alcaraz, who won six other titles this year, including three at Masters-1000 events. Alcaraz, who also leads the career head-to-head, defeated Sinner in four of their six meetings in 2025.
"I was going to award co-ATP Players of the Year to both Sinner and Alcaraz, but I feel Sinner missing some months because of the suspension and not finishing as the year-end No. 1 pushed the scales towards Alcaraz," said Shriver.
No matter if you believe Alcaraz or Sinner deserves this completely arbitrary distinction, one thing is for sure: They are the best players in the world and should continue their collective brilliance in 2026.
Even their top-ranked peers seemed to have accepted that.
"They've played at an incredibly high level for an extended period of time," world No. 7 Alex de Minaur said about Sinner and Alcaraz ahead of his semifinal match against Sinner at the ATP Finals. "We are just going to keep on getting better and wait for our opportunity.
"At least I'm hoping they're not going to show up every single day of the year, right?"
WTA Player of the Year: Aryna Sabalenka
While there was little drama on the ATP side, at least in narrowing it down to two, there were a handful of women who were considered for the title this year. Not only were the majors won by four different players, Elena Rybakina closed out the year with the title at the WTA Finals -- and others won multiple 1000-level tournaments and contended at Slams.
But still, even with the equality at the top of the WTA, one woman was slightly ahead of the rest of the pack and was the unanimous pick for this award. Of course, that was world No. 1 Sabalenka, who held the top ranking all season long. She won the US Open, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams over a decade ago to repeat as champion, and also made it to the Australian and French Open finals and to the Wimbledon semifinal. Not to mention, she won three other titles on the year, including two at the 1000 level, and played in a total of nine finals.
If Sabalenka was playing in a tournament, she was not just a contender, but a favorite for the title. Per Shriver, for all of those reasons, "she is the clear player of the year." And even her opponents heaped on the praise this year.
"Obviously, she's No. 1 and is fully capable of playing incredible tennis, like she did today," Anisimova said after the US Open final. "I give her all the credit for that. I admire her enormously; she works hard, and that's why she's here."
(Long-awaited) Breakthrough moment: Madison Keys, Australian Open
A prodigious talent who turned pro as a 14-year-old, for much of the early portion of her career, it seemed inevitable Keys would win a major title. And she came close. She reached her first Slam semifinal in 2015 and was the runner-up at the 2017 US Open. But despite winning nine WTA titles and being a top-20 mainstay, she was unable to win when it mattered most.
Until this year, that is. Nearing her 30th birthday, Keys put together a fearless run for the ages at the Australian Open, defeating five seeded players, including No. 2-ranked Swiatek in the semifinals and No. 1-ranked Sabalenka in the final. In the end, Keys hoisted her first major trophy following a close three-set thriller -- almost 16 years after turning pro, and a decade after reaching her first semi.
Match of the year: Alcaraz vs. Sinner, French Open final
Was this even in doubt? The first ever major final between the two burgeoning rivals clocked in at five hours and 29 minutes, making it the longest French Open final in history and the second longest at a major. It also featured one of the most unbelievable comebacks of all time.
Sinner, playing in just his second tournament back after serving his three-month suspension, won the marathon first game in 12 minutes -- and then largely cruised as he won the first two sets. With Sinner looking well on his way to his fourth Slam title, and first at Roland Garros, Alcaraz had other ideas.
That's when the magic happened. Raising his level and feeding off the raucous crowd, Alcaraz forced a fourth set and then fought off three championship points on his way to a decider. Momentum continued to shift in the final set -- with the two trading one highlight-worthy point after another -- before Alcaraz won in a tiebreak for the 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) final score. It marked the second straight French Open trophy for Alcaraz, and his fifth major title, but more than that, it cemented the legend of the Big Two and the rivalry that looks to shape the sport for years to come.
Most improbable victory: Valentin Vacherot, Shanghai
Arriving to the Masters 1000-level event ranked No. 204 in the world and as the ninth alternate for the qualifying draw, the 26-year-old -- who had won just one match on the ATP Tour in his career -- needed a miracle just to be able to play in the tournament.
But following a slew of withdrawals, Vacherot made it into qualifying and needed three sets in both matches there to make the main draw. Somehow he found a way -- and then did the unthinkable. He defeated one seeded player after another, including Alexander Bublik in the second round, Holger Rune in the quarterfinals and Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. And if that wasn't enough, he then faced his cousin Arthur Rinderknech -- then ranked No. 40 himself and hardly considered a title contender before the tournament got underway -- in the most unlikely of finals. Vacherot ultimately won the family affair and became the first Monegasque player to win an ATP title, as well as the lowest-ranked Masters champion in history. After the final, the tearful cousins embraced and shared kind words during an emotional trophy ceremony.
"There has to be one loser, but I think there are two winners today," Vacherot said on court. "One family that won, and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal."
Following the fairy-tale victory, which more than doubled his career earnings, Vacherot surged up the rankings. Thanks to a quarterfinal run at the Paris Masters, Vacherot ends the season ranked at No. 31 and as a former unknown-turned-beloved figure in the sport.
Honorable mention: Victoria Mboko, Canadian Open
Ranked No. 85 in the world and receiving a wild card for entry, the 18-year-old Canadian stunned the field as she defeated four Slam champions en route to winning the home 1000-level tournament. It marked her first WTA title, and her ranking surged to No. 24. (She ended the season with another title and a new career-high ranking of No. 18.)
Star turn of the year: Taylor Townsend, US Open
Townsend has long been known to tennis fans for her talent on the singles and doubles courts, as well as her vivacious personality, but she put the world on notice with her incredible play and equally remarkable poise at the US Open. Townsend, who reached the No. 1 doubles ranking this year for the first time, had an impressive win over No. 29 seed Jelena Ostapenko in the second round -- and a distraught Ostapenko aggressively confronted Townsend after the match saying she had "no class, no education."
Townsend kept her cool during the exchange, and later said she wanted to make sure her young son would be proud of her if he were to see a video of it.
"I'm very strong," Townsend later told reporters. "I'm very proud as a Black woman being out here representing myself and representing us and our culture. I make sure that I do everything that I can to be the best representation possible every time that I step on the court and even off the court."
The interaction, and Townsend's reaction to it, immediately went viral, making Townsend's next match against No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva a must-watch event. Townsend delivered, completely dismantling the teenage phenom in front of a passionate crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. (Ostapenko later apologized for her words.)
Townsend later lost in a heartbreaking thriller in the fourth round to two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova -- and reached the doubles final with Katerina Siniakova -- but cemented her status as a fan favorite. She has seemingly been everywhere (from the morning talk show circuit to vacationing with Osaka) since her run in New York.
Doubles teams of the year: Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash; Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend
Glasspool and Cash, the top-two-ranked doubles players in the world, reached an astounding 11 finals in 2025. They won seven titles, one of which was at Wimbledon -- becoming the first British duo to do so since 1936. Neither had ever won a major before, or even advanced past the quarterfinals.
The top-two-ranked doubles players in the world on the women's side, Siniakova and Townsend continued their successful partnership in 2025 and won their second Slam title together at the Australian Open. They also reached the final at the US Open, the semifinals at Wimbledon and the final at the year-end championships, and hoisted the trophy together at the 1000-level event in Dubai.
Honorable mention: Christian Harrison and Evan King
Entering the season, neither Harrison, 31, nor King, 33, had ever won an ATP title, but that changed dramatically during their first year together as a team. This year, they claimed three ATP titles, reached the semifinals at the French Open and became the first all-American duo to qualify for the year-end ATP Finals.
Comeback player of the year: Belinda Bencic
Perhaps the easiest and most obvious award winner on this list, Bencic returned to competitive tennis in October 2024 just six months after giving birth to her daughter Bella. Bencic, 28, played exclusively ITF and 125-level events for the remainder of the year and then made her official comeback to the tour at the start of 2025.
It didn't take her long to get right back into the swing of things. Weeks into the season, she reached the fourth round at the Australian Open -- and she followed that up by clinching the title at the 500-level Abu Dhabi Open in February. By the end of the season, she had recorded a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon -- for the first time in her career -- and had won another title at the Pan Pacific Open in October. She started the year ranked No. 489 and finished at No. 11.
Most improved: Amanda Anisimova
There are career years, and then there is what Anisimova did in 2025. A strong candidate for Player of the Year, as well as breakthrough moment and star turn, Anisimova more than lived up to the high expectations placed on her as a junior. The 24-year-old American, who took an eight-month break from the sport in 2023 for her mental health, won the then-biggest title of her career at the 1000-level Qatar Open in February and cracked the top 20 for the first time.
But that was just the beginning. Anisimova found her stride on grass, reaching the final at Queen's Club and then pulling off a memorable upset over Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals and reaching her first major final. She lost, in staggering fashion, to Swiatek -- but got her revenge at the US Open. And in New York, Anisimova reached the final yet again. While she didn't win the trophy, her ranking and profile continued to skyrocket. By year's end, she had won yet another 1000-level title at the China Open, qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time (where she reached the semifinals) and now has a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world. What a year, indeed.
Honorable mention: Learner Tien
It's hard to compare to what Anisimova did, but Tien, 19, also had a monumental season. Ranked No. 121 in the world, the American came through qualifying to make his main draw debut at the Australian Open -- and what a debut it was. In the second round, Tien upset former world No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, winning the 10-point tiebreak in the fifth set. After defeating Corentin Moutet in the third round, Tien became the youngest male player to advance to the fourth round in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005.
Tien would go on to defeat Zverev at the 2025 Mexican Open, becoming the youngest American man to win against a top-three player since 2001. Tien finished 2025 with his first ATP title at the Moselle Open and closed the season with a new career-high ranking of No. 28.
Most age-defying players this year: Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams
While not quite at the untouchably dominant level he once was, Djokovic, 38, remains -- without question -- the third-best male player in the world. Focusing most of his energy on the majors, in hopes of achieving an elusive and record-breaking 25th Slam title, Djokovic reached the semifinals at all four in 2025, but couldn't quite figure out the riddles that are Alcaraz and Sinner. Nonetheless, he won two titles this season, bringing his career total to an astounding 101. While he has been candid about his career winding down, and has admitted how hard it is to play the Big Two, he wants to keep playing in 2026.
And then, there's Williams. At 45, the seven-time major singles champion joyfully -- and competitively -- made her return to tennis this year at the Citi Open after a 16-month break that had sparked speculation of retirement. With a win over No. 35 Peyton Stearns in the opening round, Williams became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. Williams went on to compete at the Cincinnati Open and at the US Open, where she became the oldest singles player in the main draw since 1981.
Williams lost in the first round in a fierce, three-set battle against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova -- but went on to have a magical quarterfinal run in doubles with partner Leylah Fernandez.
And, however improbable as it may seem, Williams isn't done yet. Earlier this month it was announced she had accepted a wild card to play in Auckland in January, marking her 33rd year on tour as a professional tennis player.
If that's not a good omen for the 2026 tennis season, we don't know what is.
