The 2025 season is in the books, and it was one for the ages. In a remarkable display of parity and depth, five different players won the four majors and the WTA Finals title.

The swings all told their own unique stories, from the hard courts to the clay to the grass and back to the hard courts, culminating with a memorable week in Riyadh.

With the offseason officially underway, we’re looking back at the top moments, biggest surprises, best matches and more from the year that was.

To kick off this retrospective series, our experts make their pick for the most memorable moment of 2025.

Coco Prevails in Paris

Brad Kallet: I was tempted to go with Jasmine Paolini becoming the first Italian woman to win Rome in four decades, but I’ll stay on the dirt and choose Coco Gauff’s Roland Garros title. She dropped the first set to Aryna Sabalenka in the final, then took the next two to win her first major in 21 months. It always feels special when an American wins the French Open, and it was a reminder (in case anyone had forgotten) that Gauff is still one of the three best players on Earth. 

Ito Emerges in Montreal

Alex Macpherson: I’m going to go with a single shot: Aoi Ito converting a match point against Paolini in the Montreal second round with a SABA (Sneak Attack by Aoi). Context: The unheralded Ito, a qualifier ranked No. 110 at the time, was playing a Top 10 opponent for the first time. She’d already come back from match point down in the second set, delighting fans and flummoxing Paolini with her idiosyncratic game style — all nonchalant forehand slices, unexpected angles and exquisite touch.

But in the home stretch, with Paolini battling hard, would she be able to get over the finish line? Ito saved her most creative shot selection for last, half-volleying a return and rushing to net to put away the volley — the first time in the match she had deployed the tactic. It sealed a career-best win and the emergence of a crowd-pleasing one-of-a-kind talent (who has unfortunately been sidelined since the US Open due to a back injury).

Ito saves match point, upsets Paolini for first Top 10 win in Montreal

Keys Breaks Through in Melbourne

Greg Garber: For my money, it was Madison Keys’ heartwarming breakthrough at the Australian Open. She has always had a ton of talent, but it never quite translated at the Grand Slams. As time went on, it seemed like the 2017 US Open — where she lost in the final to fellow American Sloane Stephens — was probably going to be her best shot at winning a major. When she arrived in Melbourne, Keys had played 45 Grand Slam singles draws. This time she got it done, beating Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, among others.

An Icon Returns in D.C.

Noah Poser: It has to be the return to the court for Venus Williams, one of tennis’ all-time greats. Williams returned in Washington, D.C. after 16 months away and immediately made waves with a historic victory over Peyton Stearns. At 45, she became the oldest player to win a Hologic WTA Tour singles match in more than 21 years. It was her first singles win in nearly two years, having last won in Cincinnati in 2023.

She followed it up with arguably a more impressive performance at the US Open, taking Karolina Muchova — who would go on to reach the quarterfinals — to three sets before losing in the first round. Oh, and she teamed up with Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarterfinals in doubles. 

Four Decades in the Making

Cole Bambini: There’s just something special about winning a tournament in your home country, and this one meant even more. Not since 1985 had an Italian (Rafaella Reggi) won the Internazional BNL d’Italia, and Paolini thrilled the crowd by keeping the title home. With Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance, Paolini rose to the occasion and needed just 89 minutes to defeat Gauff 6-4, 6-2 for her second WTA 1000 title. The next day, she won the doubles title alongside compatriot Sara Errani. 

‘Forza’ in Rome: Paolini takes the title and sweeps to national glory

An Inspiring (and Beautiful) Moment in Abu Dhabi

Matt Wilansky: Turns out mom still hits a mean forehand. Ten months after giving birth, Belinda Bencic walked into Abu Dhabi and took the title like she’d only been gone a weekend. Everything looked familiar — the clean strikes, the calm shot selection, the easy read of the court. Just good tennis from someone who clearly hadn’t forgotten how to play. But what mattered most came after the final point: posing for the camera and kissing her daughter during the trophy ceremony.