The New Tennis Era, French Open 2025 ATP & WTA calendar so far

Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff's French Open (aka Rolland Garros) championships mark the end of the year's first half of Grand Slams for the ATP and WTA Tours. TNT Sports, the network now hosting the tournament, experienced a 25 per cent increase in ratings. The deal was finalised in 2024 as a multi-year deal till to 2034. It's no surprise that the younger generation is attracting more viewership; the baton has officially passed for women's tennis, and for men's tennis, Djokovic is the last of the Grand Slam big 3.

Tennis has captivated fans since the Open Era, with talent dating back to the 1960s. The first Grand Slam winners of the open era were Nancy Richey and Ken Rosewall. Other notable legends include:

1960s & 1970s

Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Björn Borg, Margaret Court, Billie Jean–King, Maria Bueno, Christine Evert

1980s & 1990s

John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles

2000s & 2010s

Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters

2020s

Now with the modern era of Iga Świątek, French Open finalist Aryna Sabalenka and champion Coco Gauff and the men's French Open finalist Jannik Sinner and champion Carlos Alcaraz.

The new era of Tennis officially began with Carlos Alcaraz beating Caspar Ruud in the US Open final to win his first Slam. Roland Garros became his fifth Slam at 22 years of age. An impressive feat for the Spaniard at his age, only behind the likes of tennis legends Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal, who won 5 Slams, the difference being less total days by the age of 22.

It has been hard to pin down a frontline leader in women's tennis, with as many as 13 women winning Grand Slams between 2020 and June 2025. Compared to men's tennis, with only 6 men who have won Grand Slams in the same period. Credit has to be given to Poland's greatest tennis player of all time, Iga Świątek (currently r. 7). Starting the decade with 5 Grand Slam Titles in under 5 years. Now halfway into the decade, Świątek seems to have lost her reign.

On one hand, a range of talent is good for the spectacle of the game, giving fans the belief that anything could happen. For the men's tennis calendar, however, the champions are established (at least for the early 2020s), with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz winning the last 6 major tournaments (aka Grand Slams).

The ATP So Far

The 2020s saw a spillover from the earlier era with Novak Djokovic (currently r. 5) and Rafael Nadal kicking off the decade, business as usual. As with all eras, the sun eventually sets whilst the next generation is preparing, learning and refining for when it's time for their shot on the big stage. 22-year-old Alcaraz (r. 2) and 23-year-old Sinner (r. 1) have stamped their mark on in the ATP but notice also has to go to those trailing in the rest of the ATP rankings.

We now have a diverse group of players from different denominations that consistently go deep into tournaments in both the ATP and WTA.

The WTA So Far

The 2020's experienced a complete shakeup to the regular Grand Slam appearances with only one name from the previous year being Naomi Osaka (currently r. 52). Now at the middle of the decade there is one front-runner in terms of major tournament wins, Poland's greatest of all time - Iga Świątek (currently r. 7), but in a shifting landscape.

The competition has ramped up with players such as Aryna Sabalenka (r. 1) and Coco Gauff (r. 2) facing each other for the 2nd time in over a decade since a WTA ranked no. 1 and WTA ranked no. 2 in Paris. As the decade enters its last half, we will see more upsets and unbelievable moments. Moments like the 361st seed Lois Boisson being the wild card in the French Open to beating the likes of Jessica Pegula (r. 3) and Mirra Andreeva (r. 6) to be promoted to 65th in ranking with her legendary French Open run which ended with a loss to French Open champion Coco Gauff in the semi-finals. This was Gauff's second Grand Slam since the U.S. Open in 2023.

The anticipation for this Slam was high; fans could not predict whether Madison Keys (r. 8) could repeat her first Grand Slam win, after winning the Australian Open earlier this year.

Up and Coming

When looking at players who could disrupt the Alcaraz/ Sinner duo, it starts with the winners of tournaments who have just been shy of Grand Slams. There have been some impressive tournament winners (outside majors) with players such as Jack Draper (r. 4), Caspar Ruud (r. 16), Jakub Menšík (r. 17) and Félix Auger-Aliassime (r. 29).

Alongside this, we have regular deep Slam appearances, including the two-time runner-up in Grand Slams, Alexander Zverev (r. 3), followed by Taylor Fritz (r. 7), 1-time runner-up in the 2024 US Open. Other notable mentions include Holger Rune (r. 9), Lorenzo Musetti (r. 6), Tommy Paul (r. 8), Alex de Minaur (r. 10), Ben Shelton (r. 12), and Francis Tiafoe (r. 13).

With 2 Slams left for the 2025 calendar and 20 more for the 2020s decade, the WTA is experiencing upsets as more and more likely. The start of this year witnessed Madison Keys enter the Australian Open on January 6th as the 20th seed to beat Sabalenka in the final, with Sabalenka being ranked number 1. Notable players in 2025 include multiple WTA 1000 tournament winner Aryna Sabalenka. For players outside Slams, there are Mirra Andreeva (r. 6), Jessica Pegula (r. 3), and Jasmine Paolini (r. 4).

Rest of Tennis Calendar

It's anyone's game, set and match...more so for the WTA Tour, but anything can happen in the last stretch of the decade for the ATP Tour. Tennis has always been thrilling because you never know the day or the tournament where the best or favourite player loses. As the ATP advert says, "You're not number one, you're number one for now".

For the ATP, fans can easily assume that either Sinner or Alcaraz can win Wimbledon and the US Open. If Alcaraz wins Wimbledon and Sinner the U.S. Open, that will make a three-peat for the Spaniard and a repeat for the Italian. Names waiting on the wings for their first slam include Zverev, Draper and the all-time great Novak Djokovic, looking to get his 25th Grand Slam Title.

For the WTA, questions come to mind, such as can Świątek return to top form, or has the golden age rivalry between Gauff and Sabalenka kicked off the coming years?

Other contenders include Qinwen Zheng, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina. Tennis has not lost its edge and is arguably ramping up for the next era that will try to eclipse those that came before it.

🪐 Are you excited for what's next?... 🪐

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Glossary

Association of Tennis Professionals (aka 'ATP')... the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour, which are the men's professional tennis circuits. The ATP sets rules for ATP tournaments and determines points for men's professional events.

ATP Rankings... the ATP 250, ATP 500 and ATP Masters 1000 events are all named for the number of Pepperstone ATP Rankings points earned by their champion. Grand Slam winners receive 2,000 points.

... A player’s Pepperstone ATP Ranking will earn them a place in either the main draw or the tournament’s qualifying draw.

... Pepperstone ATP Rankings, points and prize money on offer.

ATP Tour... this is a list of tennis tournaments grouped as a tour for men's professional tennis that includes more than 60 events in nearly 30 countries.

Grand Slam... a combination of four of the most competitive and highly coveted tennis tournaments throughout the year, consisting of the Australian Open, Roland-Garros (also known as French Open), Wimbledon and the US Open.

Open Era... the current era of professional tennis, which began in 1968, removing the rule where only amateur players were allowed to compete in Grand Slam tournaments.

Tennis Calendar... the period when professional tennis players compete in tournaments around the world. The season is centred around the four Grand Slam tournaments, which are played annually and other ATP/ WTA tournaments within a calendar year from January to December.

Women's Tennis Association (aka 'WTA')... the WTA manages the women's professional tennis circuit. The WTA promotes competitive play and increases the visibility of female tennis players.

WTA Rankings... a player's ranking is determined by results at a maximum of 18 tournaments for singles and 12 for doubles. Points are awarded based on the level of the tournament and a player's round-by-round progression at that tournament.

WTA Tour... this is a list of tennis tournaments grouped as a tour for women's professional tennis.

Sources

Atptour.com

coretennis.net

reuters.com

wtatennis.com