🎾 Melbourne Crowns its Champions

In partnership with

Happy Tuesday! 2025’s first major has concluded with two remarkable stories of transformation: one of technical mastery leading to dominance, the other of mental evolution culminating in long-awaited glory. A special thank you to 1440, today's sponsor. Clicks on our ads support independent tennis journalism, we appreciate your help!

In this week's newsletter:

  • 🗝️ Keys Unlocked: The Journey from Prodigy to Champion

  • 🏆️ Title Defense Complete: Sinner’s Star Continues to Rise

  • 🔥 Top 5 Matches from the 2025 Australian Open

  • 🎤 When Interviews Cross the Line: Lessons from Melbourne

 🔥 Let’s Hear from You 🔥 

The 2025 Australian Open delivered some unforgettable matches deep into the tournament. Cast your vote below on your favorite match!

What was the most memorable match from Week 2 of the Australian Open?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Keep reading to see our ranking for the entire tournament!

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

If you're frustrated by one-sided reporting, our 5-minute newsletter is the missing piece. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you comprehensive, unbiased news—free from political agendas. Stay informed with factual coverage on the topics that matter.

🗝️ Keys Unlocked: The Journey from Prodigy to Champion 🔓

Image: Vogue

16 Years in the Making: Madison Keys' journey from teenage prodigy to Grand Slam champion spans nearly two decades of resilience. At just 14, she won her first WTA match, and by 19, she had reached the Australian Open semifinals, marking her as America's next tennis sensation. The path since was filled with heartbreaks, including a devastating loss in the 2017 US Open final to Sloane Stephens and a particularly painful 2023 US Open semifinal defeat to Aryna Sabalenka after leading 6-0, 5-3. Yet at 29, Keys finally turned those hard-learned lessons into triumph.

Mentality Shift: For years, Keys' toughest opponent was often herself, weighed down by the belief that without a Grand Slam title, "[she] wouldn't have lived up to what people thought [she] should have been." This burden led to tentative play in crucial moments. Her mental breakthrough came when she stopped defining herself by Grand Slam success. Through therapy and self-reflection, she realized that her life wouldn't be defined by whether or not she won a major. Letting go of the burden gave her the "ability to actually play for it."

The Championship Run: Keys' path to glory culminated in back-to-back victories over the world's top two players, a testament to her newfound mental toughness. After saving a match point against Iga Świątek in a thrilling semifinal, she faced her nemesis Sabalenka in the final. Despite the weight of past defeats and a momentum shift after dropping the second set, Keys stayed aggressive in the decisive moments. From 5-5 in the third set, she played her most fearless tennis, sealing the victory with a signature inside-out forehand winner. As she embraced her husband and coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, sixteen years of expectations melted away in what she called "the moment [she] finally let [herself] believe."

🏆️ Title Defense Complete: Sinner’s Star Continues to Rise 📈 

Image: David Gray, Getty Images

What set Sinner apart in the final? The final underscored the widening gap between Sinner and his closest rivals as he dispatched Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. Despite Zverev's early aggressive net-rushing, Sinner's precise passing shots and superior execution left the German repeatedly stranded. A cruel net cord at 4-4 in the second set tiebreak typified Zverev's fortune, but Sinner's relentless pressure, winning 84% of first serve points and hitting 32 winners to just 27 errors, was the decisive factor. The match showcased his complete command of the court, cementing his status as the clear world number one.

What’s led to Sinner’s recent dominance? A late 2023 serve overhaul turned Jannik Sinner into a dominant force. Transitioning from a platform to pinpoint stance added crucial height to his serve, while strength training boosted its power. Though not as explosive as peers like Zverev, Sinner's precision and unpredictability make him nearly unbreakable, evidenced by facing zero break points in the final. Combined with his exceptional movement and consistent groundstrokes, Sinner has become nearly unbeatable, with an 80-6 record since the start of last season.

Will Zverev ever reach the mountain top? For Zverev, a third Grand Slam final defeat raises questions about whether he'll ever claim one of tennis's biggest prizes. His candid post-match admission, "I'm just not good enough," revealed deep frustration, though Sinner encouraged him, saying "we all believe that you can lift one of these very, very soon." Zverev, who has expressed a desire not to be remembered as the best player never to win a major, continues to excel at Masters 1000 events but struggles against top-5 players in Slams, holding a 1-13 record in such matchups. At 27, time is slipping away as younger stars dominate the sport’s biggest stages.

🔥 Top 5 Matches from the 2025 Australian Open🔥

Image: TSN

The 2025 Australian Open delivered unforgettable moments, from shocking upsets to career-defining victories, keeping fans on the edge of their seats late into the Melbourne nights. Here are our top 5 matches of the tournament:

#5. Gael Monfils vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: This five-set rollercoaster featured the Frenchmen trading thunderous serves and breathtaking rallies, with momentum swinging wildly throughout the 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4 contest. Mpetshi Perricard's raw power, highlighted by 19 aces, clashed with Monfils' spectacular court coverage, culminating in a thrilling final set that had the crowd roaring louder with every point.

#4. Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz: In what Djokovic called "one of the most epic matches" he's played at Rod Laver Arena, the Serbian legend overcame a leg injury and Alcaraz in a gripping 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal that stretched past midnight. The 33-stroke rally at the end of the fourth set highlighted the exceptional level of tennis from both players.

#3. Madison Keys vs. Aryna Sabalenka: Keys completed her fairy-tale run with a gutsy 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory in the final, dethroning the defending champion and capturing her first Grand Slam title. Her fearless play in the decisive final game, which featured two spectacular winners, exemplified the confidence and aggression that defined her campaign.

#2. Learner Tien vs. Daniil Medvedev: In the tournament's biggest upset, 19-year-old qualifier Tien shocked the fifth seed in a five-set marathon, 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6(10-7), finishing at nearly 3 a.m. Tien's poise under pressure and tactical maturity belied his years, particularly in the final-set tiebreak where he outplayed the more experienced Medvedev.

#1. Iga Świątek vs. Madison Keys: Keys' remarkable 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(10-8) semifinal triumph over Świątek epitomized her resilience, coming back from match point down in the tiebreak to secure the win that set up her historic championship run. Her aggressive baseline game and strategic variety proved crucial in overcoming Świątek's legendary consistency.

🎤 When Interviews Cross the Line: Lessons from Melbourne 🦘 

Image: Adrian Dennis, AFP

The 2025 Australian Open faced significant criticism for its mishandling of post-match interviews, with Ben Shelton’s complaints about disrespectful treatment echoed by tennis legends. While concerns began with Tony Jones’ awkward exchange with Novak Djokovic, other contentious remarks exposed deeper flaws in the tournament's interview approach.

Other controversial moments included Iga Świątek facing harsh questioning after her semifinal loss to Madison Keys, when she was asked, "How much does it hurt to miss a match point, a first final here, and the chance to become World No. 1 again?" Her blunt reply, "You have to experience that to know," highlighted the question’s insensitivity. Another misstep occurred in Learner Tien's second-round interview, where the presenter made the uncomfortably personal remark, "I used to live in Newport Beach, so I know where you live by the way,” further underscoring the pattern of inappropriate interviewing choices.

Tennis legends have joined the criticism, with Chris Evert observing that some interviewers focus too much on humor or self-promotion. The controversy has sparked broader debates about broadcasters’ roles in tennis, with many arguing they should prioritize celebrating athletes’ achievements rather than seeking headlines or creating clickbait with provocative or insensitive questions.

🎥 Reel of the Week 🎥 

We reached 2,000 followers on Instagram! Make sure to follow us if you haven’t yet! Here’s our best reel from last week, which has already garnered 180,000 views!

Rate Today's Newsletter

Let us know your thoughts on today's newsletter!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.