Aryna Sabalenka retains a significant lead atop the official WTA Rankings in 2025, yet she continues to seek her first Grand Slam title of the year. Sabalenka’s runner-up finish at the Australian Open to Madison Keys was a setback, compounded by her loss to Coco Gauff in the French Open final. At Wimbledon, Sabalenka’s quest ended in the semi-finals against Amanda Anisimova. With the US Open remaining as her last major opportunity of the year, the pressure remains high.

Sabalenka’s season highlights include titles at the WTA 1000 events in Miami and Madrid, but critical defeats in the big moments have allowed Coco Gauff to ascend in the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). Unlike the traditional WTA Rankings, which operate on a rolling 52-week point system, the UTR evaluates recent form using an algorithm that values wins over higher-ranked opponents more heavily.

This system offers a snapshot of current player performance and competitive balance, rating all players on a scale from 1.00 to 16.50 irrespective of age, gender, or geography. Gauff’s victory over Sabalenka in Paris significantly contributed to her rise to No. 1 in the UTR rankings.

Iga Swiatek is also making strides in the UTR following her triumph at Wimbledon, which included a commanding 6-0, 6-0 win over Anisimova shortly after defeating Sabalenka. However, Gauff has struggled recently, exiting early at Wimbledon and showing inconsistency at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, notably winning a tough three-set opening match against Danielle Collins despite serving 23 double faults.

With the US Open approaching, Gauff aims to regain her strong form. Meanwhile, Sabalenka has opted out of the Montreal tournament, taking an extended rest period following Wimbledon.

Current UTR Rankings leaders are: 1. Coco Gauff 2. Aryna Sabalenka 3. Iga Swiatek 4. Mirra Andreeva 5. Zheng Qinwen 6. Madison Keys 7. Ekaterina Alexandrova 8. Elina Svitolina 9. Elena Rybakina 10. Jessica Pegula.

Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked world No. 2, has addressed the often-speculated notion of ‘friction’ between him and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Despite their rivalry being a focal point on the ATP Tour, with multiple high-caliber matches including Grand Slam finals, Alcaraz emphasizes the mutual respect and friendship that characterizes their relationship off the court.

Leading the head-to-head 8-5, Alcaraz dominated at one stretch with five consecutive wins, including a memorable five-set triumph over Sinner in the French Open final this June. However, Sinner ended this streak with a four-set victory at Wimbledon, marking their second straight Grand Slam final encounter.

The pair have collectively claimed the last seven Grand Slam titles, establishing themselves as the emerging dominant forces in men’s tennis. Yet, unlike some of the more contentious rivalries in tennis history, there appears to be little animosity between them. Alcaraz told the Financial Times, “Trash-talking gets a lot of attention. People really like the idea that there is friction between us. That’s what sells. But although tennis is an individual sport, we are with the same players every week, day in and day out.

“Jannik and I, who have had great battles on the court, see each other a lot off of it. We talk, we train together sometimes. And in the end you forge a good relationship, a beautiful relationship.

“We want to win and beat each other, but then off court, being good people and getting along is another matter. For me, that is one of the virtues and values of sport.”

Their growing rivalry is seen as a continuation of the legacy established by the Big Three—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—who collectively won 66 Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz, now 22, and Sinner, 23, are viewed as the next generation to define men’s tennis, though Alcaraz is cautious about the pressure of comparisons. “We try not to think about any pressure and least of all about doing what they did,” he remarked.

Looking ahead to the US Open, all eyes will be on whether the duo will clash in a third consecutive Grand Slam final. Both are former champions in New York, with Alcaraz winning in 2022 and Sinner the reigning champion from last year. They will begin their US Open preparations at the Cincinnati Open, after withdrawing from the Canadian Open.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked No. 19 in the world, expressed his frustration over being scheduled for an early 11 a.m. match at the Canadian Open against Jakub Mensik, ranked No. 18. This match is uniquely set to start earlier than all others on Friday, which begin at 12:30 p.m. local time. Both players had their second-round wins in the tournament prior to this match.

Davidovich Fokina took to social media to share his disappointment, emphasizing the inconvenience of his early schedule given the distance from the club where they are staying. “We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition,” he wrote. He added that despite requests to adjust the time, organizers cited tickets and broadcasting rights as barriers, concluding the ATP does not adequately consider player needs.

His post further criticized the ATP for inconsistent scheduling and unmet promises to improve conditions. “Today it happened to others, tomorrow it’s me, and from the day after, all matches return to 12:30. There are plenty of available courts, yet we’re the only ones playing at 11:00,” he stated.

The reaction among players was mixed, but Dan Evans, a former world No. 21 known for his candid views, was notably critical. On Instagram, he urged Davidovich Fokina to simply accept the challenge, stating, “Wake up an play. The world wakes up an works 9-5 even 8-6 pathetic.”

Evans has previously voiced his perspective on scheduling complaints, highlighting the autonomy players have in their tournament participation and cautioning against what he sees as excessive moaning. “When I hear about the schedule [complaints], these guys don’t have to play every week. You are allowed to not play. The reason they play is so they pick up their bonus pool,” Evans commented. He emphasized that tennis players are independent contractors with options to manage their schedules and should be mindful of their privileged position relative to many others.