Starting on August 24, 256 eager tennis players—128 males and 128 females—fought aggressively to be the survivor of the fittest: the one and only 2025 US Open Champion. At the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, suspense and excitement engulfed the atmosphere of every match, as players fought through deuces, not knowing whether an out could cost them the whole set. Every player wants to have the luxury of playing in the famous Ashe Stadium and yearns to be the ultimate winner. However, it all comes down to which player wants it more, and who is willing to work the hardest to win.
The US Open is considered one of the four major international annual Grand Slam Tournaments that not only feature mens and womens singles tournaments, but doubles and mixed doubles championships as well. Performances in this particular Grand Slam tournament have occurred in hard courts ever since 1978. Throughout the year, players must play in various types of courts such as grass in Wimbledon and red clay in Roland Garros, ultimately leading up to the final championship game. The US Open lasted 15 days, from the beginning of the main draw on August 24 to September 7, concluding with the men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Aside from having to play in the blazing sun and in front of numerous roaring fans, the players had to battle through major obstacles in order to reach the finals. Ultimately, a player has to win seven tournaments in order to have the opportunity to become the champion.
This year’s US Open was full of surprises with new players competing among reigning champions. A major upset to the fans was the dismissal of former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the very first round by world No. 51, Benjamin Bonzi, who ironically was also defeated in the first round of 2021 US Open. It took five sets for Bonzi to beat Medvedev, ending with a victorious set of 6-4. As a result, Medvedev was back to the drawing boards, and after being able to progress no further than the second round in any of this year’s major tournaments, he declared a separation from his longstanding coach Gilles Cervara, according to US Open web site.
Another unexpected turnout was in the third round in which Canadian tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime, whose pre-tournament ranking was No. 27, dominated the match against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev. Despite winning the first set, 4-6, Zverev’s triumph did not last as Auger-Aliassime defeated him in the next three sets.
Then there was the bittersweet match between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Gauff, who is a fan favorite in New York, was unable to surpass Osaka’s impressive first-serve points and thus did not progress to the next round. This year was Osaka’s first time competing since her 14-month maternity leave. Osaka had already played in major tournaments this year such as the Australian Open last January. However, she did not get as far as she did this time. Osaka was one No. 1 in 2019 and after defeating the talented Gauff by winning both sets, it looks like she’ll be making her way to the top in no time. Although Osaka did not win the semi finals, she was proud of how far she had come as she was simply “hoping [she] could have the opportunity to play on this court again. This is like my dream is coming true,” as she said to BBC News.
Last but not least, it all came down to the very last match: the finals. First came the women’s finals—an exhilarating battle between the world’s No. 1 female player, Aryna Sabalenka, and New Jersey’s own Amanda Anisimova (No. 4). Tension filled Arthur Ashe as both players entered with so much at stake, especially as this was not their first encounter this year. In fact, Sabalenka lost to Anisimova in the 2025 Wimbledon semi-finals, which is why in this match Sabalenka fought with resilience to win the first and last set, finally becoming the ultimate champion of the tournament. This was a difficult year for Sabalenka as she had reached the finals of the Australian Open and French Open, but this was her first Grand Slam win of the year. This was a repetition of her triumph in the 2024 US Open. In addition, because Sabalenka experienced mental obstacles, according to BBC News, the moment she jubilantly fell to her knees was a representation of her emotional strength.
The next day, it was time for Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2 before the match) and Jannik Sinner (No. 1 before match) to compete—a match that has been witnessed far too many times over the years. In fact, in Alcaraz’s victory speech, he jokingly commented, “I see you more than my family. It’s great to share this court with you,” according to BBC News. As a result of Alcaraz’s agile and accurate serves, not only did he win this title but he moved up to become No. 1, while Sinner’s ranking went down to No. 2. This evened out the contest between both players, as Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon while Alcaraz won the French Open prior to this. In this manner, Alcaraz and Sinner hold a distinguished rivalry that ultimately pushes both players to perform at their utmost skill in every encounter, often in the finals.
Watching these talented players perform with such focus and strong passion has become an inspiration for people all around the world. Overall, despite the expensive prices, the fans have no regrets whatsoever as they felt that these two weeks were both overwhelming but exhilarating.
