We came, we saw, they conquered. Three weeks of pulsating tennis concluded in Flushing Meadows on Sunday, with champions crowned and champagne flowing. Along the way, blood, sweat and tears were left on the gritty hard-court canvas at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as the 2025 Grand Slam season officially came to a close.
Join us for a look back at the moments that moved us the most.
Sweetness for Sabalenka
Hard-won experience paid off for Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final in Arthur Ashe Stadium. A victim of two hard-luck losses in major finals earlier this season, the world No. 1 did what she always does over the course of a brilliant Flushing fortnight that saw her drop just one set. She beared down, embraced the pressure and gave herself a chance to shine.
And when that opportunity came, Sabalenka was there to pounce. She defeated Amanda Anisimova in a closely contested final, 6-3, 7-6(3), and fell to her knees on the court when the job was done, overcome by the joy of the moment and the realization of a dream.
The first player to defend the US Open women’s singles title since Serena Williams in 2014 can walk on air for the rest of the 2025 season. She’s now a four-time major and two-time US Open champion, and a woman who has proven once again that tough losses only make her stronger.
The magic of Carlitos
The irrepressible smile of Carlos Alcaraz. It doesn’t show up on a scoreboard, but it does make its way into the hearts and minds of fans. Call it the Alcaraz effect. Call it showmanship. Call it pure magic. Whatever you call it, there’s no denying that the Spaniard puts so much passion into his tennis that the cup is full enough for all of us to drink.
Alcaraz didn’t just play flawless tennis as he worked his way to his second US Open title over the past two weeks. He also put his heart and soul into his art as he captured the imagination of tennis fans worldwide.
The 22-year-old plays the game with unbridled enthusiasm, creativity and chutzpah, and when he clinched the title and crouched down to soak in his special moment, his moment was our moment.
Venus returns
It’s incredible, when you think about it. The value that one player can add to a US Open. Tennis fans saw it first-hand at this year’s Open, as two-time champion Venus Williams played singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Flushing Meadows and was the feel-good story that set the tone for a joyous fortnight. Venus made her record 25th singles appearance in New York, and after being eliminated by Karolina Muchova, she took to the doubles court to make an inspirational run to the quarterfinals alongside Leylah Fernandez.
How to sum up Venus’ return in four words? Come back next year!
Amanda’s revenge
After her devastating 6-0, 6-0, loss to Iga Swiatek in this year’s Wimbledon final, we would have understood if American Amanda Anisimova needed some time to bounce back. Instead, the 24-year-old got back on the horse immediately and thrived under the New York spotlight. After she toppled No. 2-seeded Iga Swiatek, 6-4, 6-3, in the quarterfinals, three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport said of Anisimova’s exploits: "I've never seen a more courageous performance on the heels of a loss like that."
Anisimova could have lied down, curled up in bed and took the summer hard-court season off; if she had, we’d have understood. Instead, she stiffened her resolve and swept away her demons to create the bounceback story of the season at this year’s Open.
The 24-year-old entered the tournament with a 3-5 lifetime record at Flushing Meadows. She leaves as a two-time major finalist and the architect of one of the ultimate New York plot twists. From down-in-the-dumps to a phoenix rising from the Ashes, Anisimova showed the world how to use adversity as oxygen. She let it fuel her fire and became the first American to reach back-to-back major finals since Serena Williams in the process.
Eala and Wong light up week one
It may feel like a distant memory, but it was just two weeks ago when Alexandra Eala and Coleman Wong, great friends and tennis pioneers who have honed their tennis at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, made history for their respective countries. Eala stunned 14th-seeded Clara Tauson in a dramatic three-setter on Grandstand. In a court packed with throngs of supporters from the Philippines, she had become the first player from her island nation to ever win a Grand Slam match.
Her friend Wong, a bomb-serving, 21-year-old from Hong Kong, did the same on Court 13, becoming the first player from Hong Kong to win a match at a major with a dramatic win over American Aleksandar Kovacevic. He would progress to the third round before being edged out by 15th-seeded Andrey Rublev in his first-ever five-set match.
We can’t wait to see what trails they blaze next year in New York.
Krejcikova’s miracle
The cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, Barbora Krejcikova saved eight match points in the second set to defeat Taylor Townsend, 1-6, 7-6(13), 6-3, in fourth-round action that gave us a glimpse at both sides of the coin: first, the sweet joy and relief of accomplishing an extraordinary comeback for the Czech; then, the heartbreak of Townsend, who was so close to her first major quarterfinal that she could taste it. Ah, tennis is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Matches like these, woven into the fabric of the tournament, will forever serve to remind us of the agony and ecstasy that our sport can produce.
Kvitova, Garcia bid farewell
Two of the most beloved players of their generation said goodbye to the tour in New York during the first week of the Open, giving fans one last chance to swoon over these legendary players.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova summed up what she believes she will miss most about the sport eloquently after her first-round loss to Diane Parry of France. She said she cherished the way that tennis could challenge her every single day.
“It's a beautiful sport. Everything you do on the court, it's your fault or your win. I think that's the beauty of the sport, as well.”
Caroline Garcia, a wildly talented former world No. 4 and US Open semifinalist, lived a complicated journey in the sport, and in the end rejoiced at having been able to reclaim her passion for tennis before playing her last match last week.
“I almost left last year by hating tennis, and I thought it was the worst sport out there,” she said. “But I did a lot of work on myself to understand what was going on, do one more season, leave it my own way, and build again my love for the sport and my passion for tennis.”
