Defending champion and top seed Spain's Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the second round of the US Open 2023 after Dominik Koepfer retired in the second set of their matchup at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Carlos Alcaraz entered secon round after Dominik Koepfer retired injured midway. Image- The Hindu
In the US Open 2023 opening game, the world number 75 German, unfortunately, twisted his ankle for just six points during the match. While a stroke from Alcaraz caused him to turn backwards and go over the baseline. After that, the 29-year-old sought treatment at the end of the first game. Koepfer remained until midway through the second set when the discomfort became unbearable.
Koepfer held on hard to win two games in each of the first two sets. But eventually, he retired with Alcaraz leading 6–2, 3–2. Alcaraz will next face South Africa's Lloyd Harris.
Alcaraz was quoted in the post-match presentation as saying, "That's not the best way to get through into another round, but I have to say on my side I was playing great. Honestly, I didn't expect to play such a great level in the first round. I am very, very happy with the level, even if Domi had to retire. Hopefully I can keep that level into the next round."
Alcaraz fought two early break points as Koepfer increased his aggression in an attempt to reduce points. After winning four straight points on serve in the second set, the German retreated as he realized that he could not sustain his strategy for a long period of time.
Alcaraz won the US Open last year in the absence of Djokovic. The Serb was not allowed to enter the country because he was not vaccinated against Covid-19. He also beat the Serb at Wimbledon last month to win his second major title. Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man to defend his US Open title since Roger Federer in 2008.
Earlier, Italian Jannik Sinner dropped just five games in a stunning 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 victory over German Yannick Hanfmann.
The women's tournament has seen a number of talented players win the title. Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Naomi Osaka are some of the players who have won the tournament multiple times. The Australian Open winners list are given below.
Meanwhile, Madison Keys of America won her first-ever Grand Slam title by becoming the champion in the women's singles event of the Australian Open 2025.
In the title match, Keys defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
Keys is the second-oldest woman to claim her first Australian Open singles title in the Open era after China’s Li Na, who was 31 when she triumphed at Melbourne Park in 2014.
Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open 2025 title after defeating Alexander Zverev. With this, the Italian becomes the first man to retain the title since Novak Djokovic’s “three-peat” from 2019 to 2021. Let's take a look at the Australian Open winners list (Men).
In this article, we will brief you on the Australian Open winners list (Men).
Jannik Sinner claims Australian Open 2025 title
Jannik Sinner won the latest edition of the Australian Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
With this, the Italian becomes the first man to retain the title since Novak Djokovic’s “three-peat” from 2019 to 2021.
Aged 23 years 163 days, Sinner is also the youngest man to win multiple Australian Open titles since Jim Courier in 1992-93.
Djokovic won the most titles
Over the last decade, the tournament has been dominated by Novak Djokovic who has won the tournament ten times in this period (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023).
The only other players to win the tournament in this time are Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic's record in the tournament is impressive, with his ten wins coming in a consecutive period of 11 years.
He has been able to defeat some of the greatest players in the world, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, in the final of the tournament.
Djokovic also has two hat-tricks of Australian Open titles, once between 2011-2013 and then doing an encore from 2019-2021.
The Serbian’s first Australian Open crown came in 2008, when he came from a set down to beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.
Djokovic has beaten Andy Murray in as many as four Australian Open finals while he has also beaten Rafael Nadal in two finals.
On the other hand, Roger has won the Australian Open twice in the last decade, in 2017 and 2018.
He has been a finalist in the tournament five times in this period, showing his consistency at the tournament.
While Stan Wawrinka has won the Australian Open once, in 2014. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final, who was the defending champion at the time.
This win was a major upset and Wawrinka proved that he is capable of winning the biggest tournaments in the world.
It is interesting to note that, in the last decade, the men's singles of the Australian Open has been dominated by Swiss players, with four out of the ten titles won by either Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka.
While Novak Djokovic, another Swiss player, has dominated the tournament with 10 titles. This shows the strength of Swiss players in the tennis world, particularly on hard courts.
Most matches won in Grand Slams by any player | Top 10 List
One of the barometers of who gets to be called the greatest of all time has to be Grand Slam match wins. Roger Federer blazed his way to 369 Grand Slam match wins. So let's have a tour of the most matches won in Grand slams from top 10 list.
The Grand Slam tournaments, also known as majors are the most important Tennis tournament. It is also considered as the world's four most important annual professional tennis tournaments.
Grand Slam is referred to the achievement of winning all four major championships in the same calendar year. The four Grand Slam championships are the Australian Open, French Open, Us Open and Wimbledon.
That's why it is also called the "Calendar-year Grand Slam" or "Calendar Slam". Players get most ranking points, prize money, public and media attention in this prestigious Tennis tournament.
John McEnroe, the American former Tennis player is in the 10th place of the top ten list of most matches won in Grand Slams.
Between 1977 and 1992 John McEnroe won 167 Grand Slam men’s singles matches.
The majority of his wins came at Wimbledon and the US Open with McEnroe sporting an 18-5 record at the Australian Open and a 25-10 record at the French Open.
He has won seven Grand Slam singles title including four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon.
Besides, he has won nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles- five at Wimbledon and four at the US Open and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title at the French Open.
Stefan Edberg is the master of the serve-and-volley style in tennis. The former Swedish tennis player once served as a coach for the defending champion Roger Federer.
Edberg has won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles between 1985 and 1996.
Edberg claimed his personal high tally (56 match wins) at the Australian Open, playing the event at two different venues.
Although both his titles in Melbourne came on the grass courts of the Kooyong Stadium.
Ivan Lendl was the player from Czechoslovakia but later he obtained American citizenship. He is recognized as one of the greatest tennis player of all time.
Lendl was all out on 222 as he rounded off his 17-year professional career.
He won 205 matches at Grand Slam tournaments representing Czechoslovakia and 17 matches after his defection to the United States.
The former professional tennis player has achieved eight major singles titles and played 19 major finals.
He was runner-up a joint record 11 times, tied with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The American world No.1 tennis player, Andre Agassi has to retire early from tennis as he was suffering from Sciatica. Still he has made many achievements in his tennis career.
He is the eight-time champion of major singles titles. He is an Olympic gold medalist as well as runner-up of seven other majors.
Agassi finished his career second on this list but would later be overtaken by the members of the big three.
Jimmy Connors was the second man in the Open Era to win three major titles in a calendar year.
Though he didn't permit to play the fourth major. The American former tennis player has achieved eight major singles titles- five US Open, two Wimbledons and one Australian Open.
Before the big three, Jimmy Connors held an impressive Grand Slam match win tally that some thought was unsurpassable.
The Swiss tennis player has won 20 major singles titles and a record six-year Wimbledon titles. he break Pete Sampras' record of 14 major singles titles at Wimbledon in 2009.
His final Grand Slam match was his defeat to Hubert Hurkacz at the 2021 edition of Wimbledon.
Tennis Stats: Players to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles without losing
To play at a consistent level at Grand Slams is a very difficult task. Rod Laver and Novak Djokovic are the two contrasting examples. Let's take a look at the tennis Stats of players who won back-to-back Grand Slam titles without losing.
To play at a consistent level at Grand Slams is a very difficult task. Rod Laver and Novak Djokovic are the two contrasting examples. In the Open Era, Rod Laver won 4 majors consecutively in 1969 and Novak Djokovic won 4 majors from mid-2015 to mid-2016.
Let's take a look at the tennis Stats of players who won back-to-back Grand Slam titles without losing.
Tennis Stats | Players to win back-to-back Grand Slams
Rod Laver | 4
Rod Laver knows what it takes to complete tennis’ ultimate achievement, having won the Grand Slam as an amateur in 1962 and again as a pro in 1969. He defeated Tony Roche in the US Open final (7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2) to win a fourth consecutive major title. Laver won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in the same calendar year (1969), which still stands as a unique achievement in the Open era.
As a professional Laver was banned from playing the Grand Slam tournaments as well as other tournaments. In 1968, Laver was again able to compete. During his career, he won eleven Grand Slam tournaments, eight Pro Slam tournaments, and five Davis Cup titles. He was also the first player to win four consecutive Grand Slams in the same calendar year in 1962.
Novak Djokovic | 4
Novak Djokovic also achieved four consecutive Grand Slam titles. He won the last two majors of 2015 (Wimbledon and US Open) and the first two Slams of 2016 (Australian Open and French Open). By winning the title in Paris in 2016, Djokovic completed a 'Career Grand Slam' (winning all four major tournaments), the fourth man to do so in the open era after Andre Agassi (1999), Roger Federer (2009) and Rafael Nadal (2010). He also completed a golden slam in 2023 when he won all four grand slams and the Olympic games.
Djokovic is the first man to win 24 Slam titles. He has tied Margaret Court for the most ever of any player in any era. Djokovic also won 10 Australian Open, which makes him the record holder for the most titles at that tournament.
Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024 confirmed
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw has been announced and Djokovic, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden while Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will face Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics.
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.
The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event.