Jannik Sinner in 2025: Titles and Time Off

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner finished the 2025 tennis season with 11,500 ranking points, a hefty prize earnings of $25 million, and six titles — yet still finished the year beneath his rival as he faced arguably the biggest personal challenge of his career so far.

Sinner hoisted two Grand Slam trophies in 2025, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and the Italian dazzled in front of home fans to win the ATP Finals. But there are many other highs, and some on-court and off-court lows in 2025 to be remembered for the 24-year-old.

Dominance in Melbourne, then a doping ban

Sinner only dropped two sets en route to a third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, against Aussie Tristan Schoolkate and the currently sidelined Holger Rune. He crushed home favorite Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals, losing only six games, while he defeated the No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the final.

Then came a suspension from tennis altogether. After Sinner controversially tested positive for the drug clostebol, the World Anti-Doping Agency reached an agreement to hand Sinner a three-month suspension. As a result, he missed important tournaments such as the BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open, and Madrid Open.

Sinner, met with some harsh criticism by fellow tennis stars, admitted in an interview with Italian network TV RAI that he “didn’t really feel comfortable in the locker room,” and considered a break from tennis early in 2025 due to the drug test result.

Return to Tennis

Sinner’s comeback to the sport took place in less hostile territory, at home at the Italian Open, where he had previously yet to make it past the quarterfinals. He reached the final, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in their first of six 2025 matches. At the French Open, Sinner was unstoppable in six matches, crushing Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik, and Novak Djokovic to reach the final.

He then lost perhaps the best match of 2025: an epic against Carlos Alcaraz yet again, as Sinner could not capitalize on a two-set lead. He had championship points in the fourth set, leading 5-3, but the Spaniard came roaring back to force a fifth set. Alcaraz eventually won the match in a fifth-set tiebreaker, as Sinner acknowledged there were heavy challenges when recovering from that loss. 

A champion on grass  

Grass courts, until 2025, had never been Sinner’s strongest suit. He had only lifted one trophy on grass at the 2024 Halle Open, and doubts emerged after he was stunned in the second round by Alexander Bublik during the 2025 Halle Open edition. At Wimbledon, he was ruthless in the first week of the event, only dropping 17 games in three matches.

Sinner’s fourth-round match was one of the season’s biggest storylines. Trailing the No. 19 seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 7-5, Dimitrov was forced to retire with a pectoral muscle injury. Sinner acknowledged he did not “take it as a win at all” in a post-match interview on court, as the rest of the Italian’s draw was arduous.

But the Italian then played some of the best tennis of his career. Against a confident Ben Shelton, Sinner won in straight sets, and in the semifinals, he easily dispatched Novak Djokovic in another sweep. In a rematch with Carlos Alcaraz, the Italian lost the first set, but controlled his unforced errors and stepped up his first serve to take command of the match. He won 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 in another thriller to win the Wimbledon title.

Tennis’ top hard-court player  

Sinner took around a month off from tennis after Wimbledon, returning at the Cincinnati Open. Burdened by the heat, he did not drop a set until he was forced to retire against Carlos Alcaraz in the final. At the US Open, he was spared from facing a Top 8 seed, taking out Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals to again set up an Alcaraz showdown. 

This time, Alcaraz dominated the rallies to pick up his second US Open trophy. Sinner, the defending champion, lost his World No. 1 ranking as a result.  

Sinner’s fall season was his most successful. Nagging cramps forced Sinner to retire during the Shanghai Masters, but he won titles at the China Open, Vienna Open, and Paris Masters. His Paris run was the most impressive; he crushed Alexander Zverev 6-0 6-1 in the semifinals before beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final. Along the way, he got some revenge against Carlos Alcaraz when he beat the Spaniard in the exhibition and pricey “Six Kings Slam.”

Ranked No. 2 and in a fight for the No. 1 spot against Alcaraz, Sinner was knocked out of contention for the top ranking when Alcaraz dominated in the round robin stage. However, it was Sinner who was the best player of the tournament, not dropping a set and setting up a final battle with Alcaraz in the final. The Italian won 7-6 (4) 7-5 to win the tournament for the second consecutive year at home. 

What’s next? 

There will be 127 players on Sinner’s mind when he begins the 2026 Australian Open, but Carlos Alcaraz will be at the top of the list. Alcaraz has a shot to clinch a career Grand Slam with a win in Australia. Sinner will meanwhile want to reverse a head-to-head against the Spaniard, which he trails 10-6. 

Sinner will also have lots of ranking points to pick up after the Australian Open, due to missing three months in 2025. He said after his US Open loss that he needs to become “more unpredictable to become a better tennis player.” Yet, his 58-6 season record proves that the Italian still is at his best.