This Australian Open might be the most successful Grand Slam in history?!

The dust has settled on the Australian Open, but discussions and reviews will surely continue for a while.

Looking back, this edition can be considered quite a success. The event started with several exhibition matches featuring stars like Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sabalenka, Kyrgios, and Deminor, all taking the stage one after another.

The exhibition matches peaked on the opening day, led by Federer, accompanied by three Grand Slam champions and former world number ones Hewitt, Agassi, and Rafter returning to Melbourne Park. The four tennis legends together made a grand debut, thrilling fans who felt a nostalgic rush, creating a moment full of emotional value.

In terms of the tournament’s progress, it was nearly flawless, with all the men’s singles round of 16 spots taken by seeded players—a first in the Open Era.

Among the top eight men’s singles seeds, except for the seventh seed Alcaraz who withdrew in the first round due to injury, the other seven top seeds advanced to the quarterfinals; the semifinals featured the top four seeds, a rare sight in recent Grand Slam history.

In the semifinals, both matches showcased two sets of high-quality clashes between top contenders. When the defending runner-up faced the world number one, Zverev surprisingly secured a break in the final set early on, but Alcaraz miraculously came back from the brink to win. There’s no need to criticize Zverev for narrowly missing victory again; the German has done more than enough and deserves applause as well.

The match between the two-time defending champion and the ten-time Grand Slam winner was undoubtedly the more headline-grabbing duel. In this battle between two generations of hard-court kings, both players delivered an exhilarating contest for the fans. Ultimately, Djokovic ended his five-match losing streak against his opponent and halted Sinner’s streak of reaching consecutive Grand Slam finals, breaking the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner’s four straight major final appearances.

For the final, the organizers invited Nadal back to close out the Australian Open. On one side stood his lifelong rival Djokovic, and on the other, Spain’s young prodigy. Under Nadal’s watchful eyes, Alcaraz made history by becoming the youngest player to complete the men’s singles career Grand Slam, setting a new record.

Djokovic also deserves our respect, as he gave everything he had. At his age, to overcome Sinner—who is more than a decade younger and had more rest—and to take a set, you can’t ask for much more from him.

Looking back at all these moments combined, this was truly a remarkable Australian Open. It featured the Big Three throughout, the shining twin stars, and a collective breakout of many others. We can cheer loudly: tennis is indeed the greatest and most beautiful sport in the world! Perhaps in the future, we will fondly remember the stories that unfolded in Melbourne this summer!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Chengqiya)