Can you believe it? The first grand slam of the 2025 season has already come to an end. After showing some intense rivalries, surprising upsets, injuries, and heartwarming moments over the last two weeks, the Australian Open has wrapped up, with Jannik Sinner defending his title successfully on the men’s side and Madison Keys on the women’s. Feels like yesterday when the draws dropped and the arenas were filling up with crowds who had been loud and lively throughout. But just how many people showed up to watch these titans of the sport take Melbourne by storm?

Last year, fans witnessed history as a record-breaking 1,020,763 fans flooded through the gates during the main draw, smashing the previous record of 839,192 from last year. The excitement didn’t stop there; with an additional 89,894 fans attending during the Opening Week, the total attendance soared to an astonishing 1,110,657 over three weeks! Aryna Sabalenka dazzled by defending her women’s singles title, while Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam victory in the men’s singles. But this year?

According to tennis journalist Michal Samulski on X, it’s topped those numbers! The 2025 Australian Open has officially set a new benchmark for attendance, welcoming over 1.2 million fans to Melbourne Park, making it the biggest tournament in its history. The main draw alone attracted 1,102,303 spectators. Including the pre-qualifying week, the total attendance reached an impressive 1,218,831.

This year’s tournament was not just about numbers; it showcased thrilling matches and unforgettable moments. Sinner successfully defended his men’s singles title against Alexander Zverev, while Madison Keys claimed her first Grand Slam title in a gripping final. Fans also witnessed the Serb maestro Novak Djokovic attempt to seal his 25th major title, although his hamstring injury stood in the way of that in the semis. Not to mention surprise guest appearances in the stands from Jackie Chan and Liam Hemsworth.

The Rod Laver Arena had it all this year! Even prior to the tournament officially kicking off, the excitement was palpable. Even for the charity event ‘A Night With Novak’ where Djokovic played doubles with Qinwen Zheng against Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka, it was a packed crowd of 15,000!

Once the Australian Open concluded, signaling the formal end of the 2025 Australian Open, Jim Courier shared his thoughts on what might just be keeping fans buying tickets for the rest of the season!

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to be the future of tennis?

Jannik Sinner took down a seasoned pro like Zverev, who has been chasing that elusive Slam title for a decade! And Sinner has only been on the scene for half that time! Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz made a strong run to the quarterfinals but faced off against the 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic, losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. But hey, that doesn’t take away from all the amazing things he’s accomplished! With both Sinner and Alcaraz leading the charge, the future of tennis is looking incredibly bright!

Jim Courier chimed in on this exciting rivalry during a post-match chat with Wide World of Sports. He said, “We shall see how this year develops. There could be lots of twists and turns along the way, but listen, with him and Alcaraz. The star power at the youth level really is so immense here; they’re going to be selling tickets all over the world.” Last season was a breakout year for both players at Grand Slams—Sinner shined at the Australian Open and US Open while Alcaraz lit it up at the French Open and Wimbledon. And let’s not forget—they’re just 23 and 21 respectively! Their achievements are nothing short of remarkable.

Alcaraz began playing professionally at just 16, winning the 2022 Miami Open as the youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion. Meanwhile, Sinner took a different route through lower-tier events but quickly climbed up after snagging several Challenger titles. Now they’re both major players on tour.

Sinner achieved the World No. 1 position in June 2024 while Alcaraz is right behind him at No. 3, although he was crowned as No.1 in September 2022. Their head-to-head stands at 6-4 in favor of Alcaraz, giving him a slight edge over Sinner. “You can see that developing and they’re going to be setting the standard for the other players to try and change,” Courier added.

With their growing fanbase, could Jannik and Carlos be the next legends of the sport? What do you think?