As another Australian Open campaign officially writes itself into the history books, there was a mixture of good, bad and ugly across the past three weeks at Melbourne Park.
The First Serve lists 21 key talking points from the opening Grand Slam of 2025.
Madison Keys' Moment
Eight years after reaching her first and last Grand Slam final, Madison Keys defied all odds to win the Australian Open as the No.19 seed.
She became the first player since Serena Williams to defeat the first and second seeds in the same tournament at Melbourne Park.
Lucky Loser Lys
Germany's Eva Lys proved that if you hang around long enough, your reward will arrive.
Lys was, literally, a last-second inclusion to replace the injured Anna Kalinskaya in the main draw after losing in the final round of qualifying, progressing to the fourth-round where she faced Iga Świątek on Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner Goes Back-To-Back
Is there a more dominant force in men's tennis at the moment? The clear answer is no, as runner-up Alexander Zverev determined.
"Jannik is better than me at the moment. It’s as simple as that," Zverev said.
"I think I serve better than Jannik, and everything else he does better. At the end of the day, he deserves to win. He’s the best player on hard courts right now."
Poor Fan Behaviour
The Australian Open's reputation for being known as the 'Happy Slam' took a massive hit over the summer due to poor crowd behaviour.
Shouting during points and players' service motion, booing the best player to grace Melbourne Park, and interrupting Zverev's speech can be viewed as nothing other than embarrassing.
Tony Jones At The Centre Of Controversy
Ah Tony, you've done it again.
Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones received massive backlash on social media for what Novak Djokovic described as "mocking" Serbian fans and Djokovic himself by branding the 10-time Australian Open winner as "overrated" and a "has-been" before saying, "Kick him out".
A seething Djokovic refused to join Jim Courier in an on-court interview after his fourth-round win as he demanded an apology.
Danielle Collins Riles Up The Aussie Crowd
Anyone who knew Danielle Collins before she annoyed the crowd after her win against Australia's Destanee Aiava wouldn't be surprised by her reaction.
Raising her hand on her ear and slapping her behind to spectators on KIA Arena, the 2022 Australian Open finalist claimed the award for the most hated villain.
Alex de Minaur Falls Short Again
Despite appearing in his maiden Australian Open quarter-final, the narrative heading into his clash with Sinner was whether de Minaur could overturn a negative 0-9 head-to-head record.
Not only couldn't he overturn it, but he was severely outclassed, demonstrating the gap in quality between the world No.1 and world No.7.
Record Crowd Attendance
Australian Open main draw attendance:
2023 - 839,192
2024 - 1,020,763
2025 - 1,102,303
And with Craig Tiley admitting that he is considering a Saturday start for next year's event, that 2025 record will no doubt be broken.
Novak Djokovic's Last AO?
How Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz from a set down carrying a hamstring tear will forever be one of tennis' great mysteries.
However, the pain was too much to take, forced to retire after the first set in his semi-final against Zverev.
"There is a chance [that it's his last Australian Open]. Who knows? I'll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going. But whether I'm going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I'm not sure."
Ben Shelton Unleashes On Broadcasting Standard
"I've been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters.
"I don't think that the guy who mocked Novak, I don't think that was just a single event. I've noticed it with different people, not just myself. I noticed it with Learner Tien in one of his matches. I think when he beat Medvedev [in] his post-match interview, I thought it was kind of embarrassing and disrespectful that interview."
Those were the stinging words of semi-finalist Ben Shelton. Honest and upfront.
Djokovic Shows Why He’s The Greatest
Always the king. In one of the highest quality and most impactful matches of the tournament, Djokovic battled injury to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in four sets, reaffirming his legendary status at Melbourne Park, and ultimately opening up the draw for Jannik Sinner.
Kyrgios’ Potential Singles Farewell
Coming into the Australian Open, there was a lot of conversation surrounding Kyrgios, his health and his chances. And after a straight-sets defeat to Jacob Fearnley, the 29-year-old suggested this might be his last singles campaign at Melbourne Park.
Thanasi Kokkinakis-Todd Woodbridge Back-and-Forth
One of the more comical quotes from press at this year’s Australian Open came from Thanasi Kokkinakis. Having been told by Woodbridge to play less exhibitions, he snapped back saying he’s just trying to make a living, as is Todd by "trying to host every game show under the sun".
Raucous French Crowd
How rowdy is too rowdy? The French crowd on court 6 definitely toed that line, creating an atmosphere in the adjacent grandstand which forced Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alejandro Davidovic Fokina to move courts mid-match.
Andy Murray-Novak Djokovic Coaching Trial
Djokovic’s decision to bring Andy Murray onto his coaching team felt surreal and while we wait to see if it will continue, the trial had some special moments, particularly the pair’s joint hug after their epic win over Alcaraz.
Elena Rybakina-Goran Ivanišević Drama
A strange situation unfolded throughout the tournament with Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanišević. The pair entered into a partnership with contrasting expectations on its length, ultimately ending abruptly following the Kazakh’s fourth-round exit.
Zverev Falls Just Short Again
The Grand Slam final heartbreak continued for Zverev, leaving fans, and even himself, questioning whether he has what it takes to get over the line at the sport’s pinnacle; particularly against the Alcaraz/Sinner duo.
Hady Habib Makes History
Hady Habib didn’t just make history for Lebanon, winning a Grand Slam match for the first time; he ignited Melbourne Park with one of the most wholesome storylines of the tournament, bringing capacity crowds to the outside courts in a perfect illustration of the Australian Open.
Destanee Aiava’s Breakthrough
Aiava’s spirited maiden victory at a major was likely the best story from an Australian perspective. Following years where she’d questioned her career given the financial burden, the Aussie came through qualifying, then came back from the brink on a packed Court 3 in round one, and ultimately pocketed a significant pay cheque to support her year.
Ground Pass Controversy
Debates surrounding crowds were again a talking point at Melbourne Park, possibly more so than ever.
While the daily occurrence of attendees being unable to see live tennis made headlines, the drama peaked over at John Cain Arena, with the action split over two separate sessions and fans given little communication as to the ticketing process.
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