If the audience numbers for the 2025 Wimbledon men’s championship match are any indication, enthusiasts are beginning to welcome tennis’s emerging group of stars.
The contest between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which Sinner secured with scores of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, attracted an average of 2.9 million spectators on ESPN, the broadcast company revealed Wednesday. Reports indicate the viewership peaked at 4 million as the match concluded.
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek’s overwhelming 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova in the final garnered only 1.3 million viewers, which is understandable given the one-sided nature of the competition.
That men’s viewership represents not just a 31% climb from the previous year’s final between Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, but also the highest figure the tournament has registered since the 2019 final between Djokovic and Roger Federer, the last instance when two icons from the sport’s established Big 3 (along with Rafael Nadal) faced off at Wimbledon. That 2019 encounter saw an average of 3.8 million viewers tuning in.
Since that time, Wimbledon has hosted finals showcasing Djokovic against less formidable opponents in 2021 and 2022, as well as Alcaraz defeating Djokovic in 2022 and 2023. The tournament was canceled in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 global health crisis.
Tennis had a need for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
From the moment Federer and Nadal started to decline more than five years ago, tennis has anticipated a fresh crop of players to rise to prominence after witnessing three competitors claim 45 of 59 Grand Slam titles from 2004-24. Factoring in Andy Murray, that increases to 48 of 59.
While some gifted players have indeed surfaced, even capturing a Slam in the instances of Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem, none have sustained their momentum until the arrival of the 23-year-old Sinner and 22-year-old Alcaraz. The Italian and Spaniard together have dominated every Grand Slam since Djokovic’s most recent triumph at the 2023 U.S. Open, and now seemingly enter every major competition destined for a showdown with one another.
It seemed the sport of tennis would be in a less favorable position when Djokovic, the previous generation’s standard-bearer, retired from the game, an event he has recently alluded to. Now, there are two additional players poised for an exceptional career, with a substantial amount of tennis ahead of them.
