The 2025 US Open came to a close this weekend, as New York’s tennis faithful gathered around Arthur Ashe Stadium to witness the Men’s and Women’s champions crowned. Read below for a recap of the championship matches from the final Major of the year:

Sabalenka Sustains Hardcourt Excellence

Aryna Sabalenka entered the US Open carrying the title of World No. 1 and an immense weight on her shoulders. The two-time BNP Paribas Open runner-up found success elsewhere on Tour to bolster her ranking–which she has held since October 2024–but a 2025 Grand Slam title eluded her as she headed to New York. With another Grand Slam defeat, she would head to the finish line at risk of relinquishing pole position. Sabalenka passionately powered through her half of the draw dropping only one set, determined to defend her US Open title.

On the other side of the draw, American Amanda Anisimova was looking to maintain her meteoric rise to contender status that she established when bursting to the Wimbledon final. Her grasscourt run included a dramatic victory over Sabalenka in the semifinal, before she was stymied by Iga Swiatek without winning a single game. The New Jersey native elevated her level in Queens, defeating Swiatek in a quarterfinal revenge match that she labeled the “most meaningful” of her career. Defeating another former US Open Champion, Naomi Osaka, in a three-set thriller, Anisimova found herself in another Grand Slam final.

The heavy-hitters got off to an electric start, exchanging early breaks and zipping winners past each other to get the crowd going. Down 3-2 in the first set and facing Anisimova’s serve, Sabalenka entered full throttle, connecting with her serve and stringing together more precise shotmaking. Sabalenka took control of the next four games to win the set 6-3, capitalizing on her opponent’s 16 unforced errors.

Sabalenka had the edge once again down the stretch in the second set, serving with a 5-4 advantage for a straight-sets victory. With her back against the wall, Anisimova rose to the occasion and brought New York to its feet. After a massive Sabalenka blunder on a volley at 30-all, Anisimova hit a crushing combination of backhand and forehand to break back. The finalists held serve, setting the stage for a tiebreak that seemed like Sabalenka’s to lose. Sabalenka entered the final with a 20-1 tiebreak tally in 2025, setting the record for most total and consecutive (18) wins in a season.

After an Anisimova ace to open the tiebreak, Sabalenka dominated the next six points, now holding a multitude of championship point opportunities. As an Anisimova return sailed wide at match point, Sabalenka dropped to her knees, teary-eyed as she claimed her fourth career Major title. She remains the WTA No. 1, a title which she soon will have held for an entire year.

Alcaraz Leapfrogs Sinner With Dominant Display

If results in previous years were only intimations, 2025 has shown that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be the dominant forces of the next generation of men’s tennis. For the third consecutive Grand Slam, the two squared off in the championship, a bout that is becoming both a reasonable expectation and a momentous occasion in the broader popular culture. This edition had special implications, as an Alcaraz win would return the Spaniard to ATP World No. 1 for the first time since 2023.

Alcaraz entered the final without dropping a set, and maintained his momentum in the early going by breaking Sinner in the opening game of the match. The two-time BNP Paribas Open champion seemed to have Sinner’s number, taking advantage of uncharacteristic errors and masterful racquetwork that brought the star-studded spectators to their feet. He broke Sinner again, and served out to take the first set 6-2.

Sinner recovered convincingly in the second set, holding his serve more confidently and breaking Alcaraz for a 3-1 lead and gesturing to a roaring Arthur Ashe Stadium. With more precise rallies and athletic winners at the net, he confidently held serve to bring the match back to level terms.

It was now Alcaraz’s turn to respond in the third, breaking Sinner in his first service game and hitting a remarkable overhead flamethrower that spun past Sinner to hold serve for a 3-0 advantage. Breaking once more and continuing to dial up his serve, he restored his set lead.

The fourth set saw more of the same from Alcaraz, who was more consistent on both ends throughout the match: Alcaraz had 10 total aces compared to Sinner’s 2, and punished Sinner’s 48% first serve accuracy, winning 52% of the Italian’s second serve points. At championship point, Alcaraz fizzed a 134 mile per hour ace past Sinner to seize his second career US Open title. The New World No. 1 embraced the former at the net, and busted out his signature golf swing celebration as he was engulfed in a standing ovation.

This result marks the eighth Major in a row that was won by either Sinner or Alcaraz, tipping the all-time Grand Slam score to 6-4 in favor of Alcaraz. As curtains close on the 2025 season, the tennis world patiently awaits their next epic duel, which is surely on the horizon.