Just a month out. Between the final men's and women's Tennis tournaments of 2024, and the United Cup, which launched the 2025 season, the players will have barely had time to breathe. Some therefore chose to wait until January 12 and the opening of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, to resume competition. Until then, franceinfo: sport returns to the five questions posed by the resumption of tournaments on courts around the world.
What turn could the doping case involving Jannik Sinner take?
The world number 1's ears must be ringing. While he has not yet launched his 2025 season, Jannik Sinner continues to appear in the conversations of his rivals, through the doping affair in which he is embroiled. From Australia, Novak Djokovic, like Nick Kyrgios before him, called for more transparency, believing that the highest ranked players seemed to benefit from preferential treatment. The Italian's double positive test for clostebol in March was only made public at the end of August.
Jannik Sinner was cleared by an independent tribunal mandated by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and received no suspension. He successfully argued the contamination thesis. But his fate remains uncertain since the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), requesting one to two years of suspension.
“It is believed that the application of the rules does not correspond to case law,” justified the Director General of WADA. The CAS decision should be made in early 2025. “Of course it's running through my head a little, conceded the Italian in mid-November. But I'm not concerned. I will collaborate as I have done the previous times.”
Who will be the leader of women's tennis?
On the throne since October 21, 2024, Aryna Sabalenka begins a season for the first time as the leader of women's tennis. The Belarusian is also starting the year on conquered ground, she who is double title holder at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024.
With four additional titles bagged last year (and three finalist places), she spent the offseason between Florida and the Middle East to finalize her preparation, discussing areas of her game to improve: “I'm not very good at the net, and even my serve is not as good as I would like.” This paid off as she won the Brisbane tournament on Sunday, dominating Russian Polina Kudermetova (107th) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In 2025, the world number 1 will have to continue to scrap with Iga Swiatek. The Pole, bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, had a complicated end to the summer and then to the year. Testing positive for trimetazidine in August 2024, the former world number 1 was suspended for a month, defending herself with the theory of contamination.
She thus missed the Asian tour and saw valuable points disappear. “The worst part was the uncertainty: I didn't know what was going to happen to my career, how it was going to end, if I was going to be allowed to play tennis again. It's the most difficult experience of my life so far”, confided the player at the end of November, when the sanction was revealed. It remains to be seen how Iga Swiatek digested the event. In the restart at the United Cup, the Pole has already raised her fist three times.
Can Novak Djokovic make history for good?
After a year in 2024 dedicated to the (achieved) objective of winning the only coronation missing from his record – Olympic gold – Novak Djokovic will be able to launch an attack on a new record. By announcing the recruitment as coach of his former Scottish rival Andy Murray, the 37-year-old Serbian sent the message that he did not intend to rest on his laurels, which were certainly already well-stocked.
Co-holder of the record for the number of Grand Slam titles (with Margaret Smith Court), the now world number 7 could, from January 26, write his name at the top of history by winning a 25th Major. For this new attempt, he is launching into his Australian garden where he already has 10 crowns. A final victory in Melbourne would also be synonymous with the hundredth career title for the Serb.
But after having played only 46 matches last year, Novak Djokovic has already launched his 2025 campaign by falling in Brisbane in the quarter-finals… against the 293rd player in the world (Reilly Opelka is coming back from several years of injuries while he was ranked 17th in the world in 2022).
Who to follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal on ocher?
The retirement of the king from Roland-Garros leaves a big void on clay. Fourteen times winner at Porte d'Auteuil between 2005 and 2022, Rafael Nadal has won 63 of his 92 titles on earth, making him the best of all time on this surface. Several players tried to find a place in the shadow of the “Bull of Manacor”, without a single name emerging.
With Spanish nationality and the same precociousness, Carlos Alcaraz seems destined to imitate his youth idol. Winner of Roland-Garros at the age of 21 last season, he showed his talent and his ability to shine on a surface on which he has won almost half of his 16 titles (seven).
Another contender: Alexander Zverev. Already winner of four Masters 1000 on gravel, the German has never won at Porte d'Auteuil. But in 2024, he exceeded his semi-final glass ceiling (2021, 2022, 2023) by losing in five sets in the final. In 2024, he recorded 23 victories against six defeats on ocher. World No. 6 Casper Ruud experienced a similar ratio (24-7). In his career, the Norwegian has won 11 of his 12 titles on clay. He also lacks the consecration at Porte d'Auteuil or during a Masters 1000 to begin to establish a status.
Which Frenchman could shine in the last four of a major tournament?
After a gloomy 2024 for the Tricolores, 2025 could brighten up. The improvements are rather expected on the men's side. At the start of the season, three French people are in the top 30: Ugo Humbert (14th), Arthur Fils (20th) and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30th). Questioned by Eurosport, their compatriot Adrian Mannarino even predicted a season concluded among the eight best in the world: “They are playing very well and are in their place in the standings currently. They are young, they continue to progress so I don't see any raison not to see them have a great season to finish at the Masters.”
The current three best Frenchmen each won two titles last year. Voted “best ATP progression” in 2024, with a jump in the world rankings from 205th to 31st place, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard also started 2025 on the floor. In Brisbane, the Lyonnais lost in the semi-final, but nevertheless consecutively dismissed former world 13th Nick Kyrgios and current 18th Frances Tiafoe.
For her part, Caroline Garcia will return to competition at the Australian Open, after a break since the end of September to treat persistent illness. The Frenchwoman, who confided in the fall to having “lost the pleasure of playing”now seeks to “play for herself” and no longer for trophies and rankings. Will pleasure be the key for her to regain the level of play that allowed her to reach 4th place in the world? Behind Caroline Garcia, the other French women are above 50th place and hopes will be more measured.
