Net positive: A season of power shifts

You could call it the Year of Hope, the Year of the Underdog, or even the Year of Redemption.

- Kunal Pradhan

You could paint a picture of David slaying Goliath, of monoliths falling, or even of tyrants being overthrown. You could wax philosophical about the rise of a new breed of champions, the emergence of the latest version of the modern global athlete, or even a generational awakening.There was enough in 2025 for each of these sporting hyperboles to be in play. And while they may be exaggerations — for no one can judge the march of human excellence in real time — it was indeed an extraordinary year of power shifts.

The grains of sand that shift with the wind, silent and unseen, gathered enough mass in 2025 to topple the dune.

For a tennis world still coming to terms with the departures of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the decline of Novak Djokovic, the next rivalry exploded so emphatically that the gash was healed without a scar. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who first met as teenagers in 2019, elevated their hunger to beat each other by splitting the four Grand Slams and juggling the No 1 ranking. In fact, Sinner and Alcaraz played 3,302 points against each other in 2025—and won exactly 1,651 each. With this incredible statistic, the passing of the baton after the Age of the GOATs was complete.

Flannels and pyjamas