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Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 8, 2024, 07:39 PM ET
- • Joined ESPN in 2011
• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours
• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018
Even with the dust barely settled on the 2024 Slam season, let’s take a look at how next year could play out. While we still have the ATP and WTA finals to come, 2025 is shaping up to be as competitive and unpredictable as ever.
It could be the year that we see youngsters such as Mirra Andreeva break through on the women’s side, with familiar favorites Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina pushing for titles, and Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, Jasmine Paolini and Ons Jabeur pushing that top group. How we’d love to see a run from Naomi Osaka, too.
On the men’s side, of course there is Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, but there’s also Rafael Nadal working in the shadows, looking for one last hurrah. Then there are the players such as Andrey Rublev, Grigor Dimitrov, Casper Ruud and Holger Rune who have been knocking on the door, and breakthrough stars like Jack Draper looking for their first Slams.
So, who will win what next year? Here’s a crack at how things may play out in 2025.
Novak Djokovic is still chasing a record-breaking 25th major title. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Australian Open
When: January 12-26
Where: Melbourne, Australia
Defending champions: Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka
Men’s winner in 2025: Novak Djokovic
For only the second time since 2010, Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam in 2024. While he achieved a career goal in winning Olympic gold, it was jarring to see him miss out on a major title. But he’s far from done. It seems there’s a fire still burning in him, and he’ll want to keep the youngsters at bay. Djokovic has looked frustrated at times, saying his US Open was the some of the “worst” tennis he’s played, but he’ll be back in Melbourne to win a record-extending 11th title there.
Women’s winner in 2025: Aryna Sabalenka
After the US Open victory on Saturday, Sabalenka is looking like the dominant force on this surface. She’s playing brilliant tennis and could’ve added to her Slam tally in 2024 had it not been for the illness she experienced in Paris, and then the shoulder injury ahead of Wimbledon. So, taking those two out, her record reads two Slams, two victories. Not bad.
Iga Swiatek has won four out of the last five French Open titles. Dan Istitene/Getty Images
French Open
When: May 25-June 8
Where: Paris
Defending champions: Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek
Men’s winner in 2025: Carlos Alcaraz
We’ve said this before, but expect this to be an emotionally charged Roland Garros if it’s Nadal’s final appearance. While he’s one of the few who could muster one last bit of magic on clay, the 2024 edition felt like the passing of the torch. Now it’s Alcaraz’s world on clay, and we’re living in it. He’s looked a little discombobulated lately, with an early exit from the US Open, but on clay, he’ll be back at home.
Women’s winner in 2025: Iga Swiatek
Swiatek is an astonishing force on clay. It must be infuriating to play her, as even when she shows some vulnerability and drops a set, she finds a way to then reach an even higher standard. We saw Swiatek come unstuck at Roland Garros at the Olympics, where she lost the semifinal to Zheng, but she showed immense character to come back and win bronze. Sabalenka will be there, Paolini will challenge again, and if Osaka can find a way to replicate some of her 2024 clay form across an entire tournament, then she’ll challenge for silverware. But this still seems predestined for Swiatek.
Ons Jabeur has made it to the last two Wimbledon finals. In 2025, could she finally break through to win? Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
Wimbledon
When: June 30-July 13
Where: London
Defending champions: Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova.
Men’s winner in 2025: Jack Draper
This is by far the hardest title to predict. Djokovic loves this tournament, Alcaraz knows what it takes to win it, as we already know, and Sinner will challenge. But let’s be bold and dream. So perhaps it’s Draper’s time. The young Brit showed brilliant form to reach the semifinal in the US Open, and he looks set to settle into the great Andy Murray‘s shoes as the Brits’ next tennis hope. So with more than a touch of keeping everything crossed, maybe it’ll be Draper’s year?
Women’s winner in 2025: Ons Jabeur
On the women’s side, who really had Marketa Vondrousova and Krejcikova to win the past two editions of Wimbledon? So this is unpredictable as well, and it’ll be chaotic. There are feasibly as many as 20 contenders for this title. Rybakina is always in the mix but was struggling toward the end of 2024, while Pegula could put together a case to win the whole thing, but we’re going for an outside shout. Come on down, Ons Jabeur. After a frustrating, injury-laden 2024, if she manages to recapture her 2022 and 2023 form, which saw her reach back-to-back finals, then she has the experience to go one further and win her first Slam.
Jannik Sinner could become a two-time US Open champ next year. Julia Nikhinson/AP
US Open
When: Aug. 25-Sept. 6
Where: New York
Defending champions: Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka
Men’s winner in 2025: Jannik Sinner
There will be an American winner of the men’s tournament in 2026 — either Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton or Taylor Fritz — but 2025 will be Sinner’s year, again. We’ve seen how well he does on hard courts, and if we’re right about Djokovic coming out of the blocks at a million miles an hour at the start of the year, then Sinner could be there to finish things off. While Djokovic will be a familiar foe all year, the absence of the Big Three means we’re in for a new era of men’s tennis where there will be no dominant force, and instead the Slam titles will be shared. Sinner could end up taking the last Slam of the year, but expect the American contingent to push him hard.
Women’s winner in 2025: Coco Gauff
The 2024 US Open didn’t go to plan for Gauff. She came into the competition as defending champion, but in a flurry of 60 unforced errors and 19 double faults, her time at Flushing Meadows came to an abrupt end against Emma Navarro.
But not in 2025. Gauff’s career has been cyclical: She’ll string together a brilliant 12 months, and then perhaps reconsolidate in the next year. In 2025 it will be her year again, and having gained the experience of what it takes to win in front of a home crowd, she’ll be back for more, but will have Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, Andreeva and Osaka chasing her.
