The final Grand Slam of the tennis season has arrived, and the 2025 US Open is already making headlines for more than just the action on court. With a record-breaking $90 million prize pot and a star-studded draw, Flushing Meadows is the center of the tennis universe as top contenders, past champions, and new faces all chase glory in New York City. But with Novak Djokovic aiming for an unprecedented 25th Major, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz eyeing more history, and a revamped mixed doubles format sparking debate, this year’s tournament is shaping up to be one for the ages.
Novak Djokovic, now 38 years old, enters the US Open with his sights firmly set on making history. The Serbian legend is preparing to kick off his campaign on Sunday, August 24, against Lerner Tien. As the tournament’s opening rounds unfold, Djokovic’s quest for a 25th Grand Slam title has become a focal point—not only for fans but also for tennis experts who know just how grueling the road ahead will be.
Former World No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander offered a candid assessment of Djokovic’s chances, noting the formidable obstacles in his path. "Looking at the last matches that he’s played against Sinner and Alcaraz, I think he may need some help to win that 25th Grand Slam," Wilander told Tennis365. "I think we need something to happen to them, to at least one of them, because to beat Sinner, and then to beat Alcaraz and having to beat someone like Jack Draper maybe before… that’s tough for any player, even if your name is Novak Djokovic. So I do think that he does need a little bit of help from the other guys."
Wilander’s words carry weight, especially considering recent results. Djokovic was knocked out by Jannik Sinner in the semifinals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2025, showing that the Italian has become a genuine Grand Slam threat. At the Australian Open earlier this year, Djokovic managed to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals but was forced to retire in the semifinal against Alexander Zverev, with Sinner ultimately awaiting in the final. The Serbian’s resilience and skill remain undiminished, but the physical demands of back-to-back five-set matches against the world’s best are not lost on anyone.
"I have not written him off, but it’s getting tougher than ever for him. He needs to beat four players in a row to win a Grand Slam and they might all be really tough. That’s the big problem. It’s not the level he is at. It’s trying to bounce back from winning match after match. That’s tough at any age and especially at his age," Wilander emphasized. While some may be tempted to count Djokovic out, Wilander insists, "I would not count him out yet. I thought he had a chance to win another Grand Slam in 2025 and Wimbledon looked like his best chance."
As the men’s and women’s draws get underway, the US Open is also making headlines for its record-setting prize money. Tournament organizers have announced the largest purse in tennis history: $90 million, a 20% increase from last year’s $75 million. The singles champions this year will each walk away with $5 million, up from the $3.6 million earned by Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka in 2024. Even a first-round appearance in singles is lucrative, netting players $110,000, while those making it to the semifinals are guaranteed $1.26 million. The breakdown for doubles and mixed doubles is equally impressive, with champions in each category earning $1 million.
The new prize money structure is part of a broader trend across the Grand Slams. The Australian Open singles champions, Sinner and Madison Keys, earned $2.25 million each in 2025, while French Open winners Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff took home $2.97 million. Wimbledon singles champions Sinner and Iga Swiatek pocketed $4.04 million apiece. These significant pay hikes were a central demand from the world’s top players, who lobbied for a more equitable distribution of tennis’s growing revenues.
But it’s not just the money that’s new at Flushing Meadows. The mixed doubles tournament has undergone a radical transformation, drawing both praise and criticism. For the first time, the event was held before the singles draw, with big names like Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, and Mirra Andreeva entering the fray. The result? Increased fan attention, more prize money, and a level of excitement rarely seen in mixed doubles.
Emma Raducanu, who teamed up with Alcaraz for a much-publicized run that lasted just two sets and 50 minutes, was effusive in her support for the new format. "I think it would be so fun if all the Slams got involved and did something similar, even if it was not the exact same format. I think it was a huge success. I think so many fans got involved, so many people watched and tuned in. It got a lot of attention. I think it was a great idea. And, yeah, I had a lot of fun on the court playing with Carlos," she said.
Italian mixed doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori ultimately took the title, defeating Swiatek and Ruud in a dramatic final and pocketing $1 million for their efforts. Their victory not only highlighted the depth of the field but also underscored the financial opportunities now available in mixed doubles.
Not everyone is thrilled, however. Jamie Murray, a former mixed doubles champion at Wimbledon, was openly critical of the US Open’s approach. "It was more of an exhibition in my eyes, I think maybe a lot of people's eyes," Murray said on the Sports Agents podcast. He voiced concerns about the invite-only format, the exclusion of traditional doubles specialists, and the widening prize money gap between singles and doubles. "They’ve pumped a lot of money into it, which is great for those guys that get the opportunity to play, but they're also the ones that are making a fortune the rest of the year. The prize money gap in Grand Slams between singles and doubles is more than 90:10, so it's already sort of massive… If you're watching the golf, for example, and a guy's got a putt from four feet for $1 million, and then you turn the channel and the guy's got a putt from four feet for $20,000 – what are you going to watch?"
As the tournament unfolds, the debate over the mixed doubles format and prize money distribution is likely to continue. But for now, all eyes remain on the action at Flushing Meadows. Will Djokovic defy age and history to claim his 25th Major? Can Sinner, Alcaraz, or another rising star seize the moment? And will the new-look US Open set a template for future Grand Slams? The answers are coming, and tennis fans around the world are watching every moment.
