Jannik Sinner Named ITF World Champion
In a surprising turn of events, Jannik Sinner has been named the ITF World Champion for the 2025 season, even though he concluded the year ranked world No. 2. His journey throughout the year was anything but conventional, marked notably by a three-month suspension stemming from a prior doping violation which curtailed his season’s length and tournament participation.
Season Highlights
Sinner kicked off 2025 on a high note by clinching victory at the Australian Open, yet faced a setback shortly after when he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of the Italian Open held in Rome. Their rivalry continued as Sinner fell to Alcaraz again at the Roland Garros final and later in the Halle Open second round. However, he regained his momentum by triumphing at Wimbledon, securing his second Grand Slam title of the year.
His season took a challenging turn thereafter when he lost to Alcaraz again in the US Open final, a match that came shortly after Sinner had to retire in their Cincinnati Open encounter.
Late-Season Resurgence
Despite these setbacks, Sinner’s late-season resurgence was exceptional, as he captured titles at the China Open, followed by back-to-back victories at the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals. These accomplishments were crucial in securing him the ITF World Champion accolade, even though Sinner’s record included four losses in six encounters against Alcaraz.
Alcaraz’s Dominance
Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1, matched Sinner’s tally of two Grand Slam titles and outperformed him with additional ATP 500 and Masters 1000 wins. His dominance throughout the season left fans scratching their heads when the honors fell to Sinner instead. This isn’t the first instance where the top-ranked player has been overlooked for the ITF World Champion title, highlighting the competitive nature of the sport.
Women’s ITF World Champion
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka decisively claimed the 2025 ITF World Champion title, having been the standout performer on the WTA Tour. She secured four tournament titles, ended the year as world No. 1, and reached three Grand Slam finals, winning one of them.
Doubles and Wheelchair Tennis
In doubles, the men’s ITF World Champion award was given to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, while Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini earned recognition in the women’s doubles category. Within wheelchair tennis, Yui Kamiji, Tokito Oda, and Niels Vink took home awards for women’s, men’s, and quad divisions, respectively. The junior categories saw Ivan Ivanov and Kristina Penickova crowned as the best in boys’ and girls’ singles, respectively.
