Tennis ball used on championship point from men's 2025 US Open final sells for almost $100,000 at auction
ATP
Sports fans are always eager to get their hands on memorabilia from iconic events. It comes as no surprise that a rather wealthy investor paid a large sum for the championship-point ball from the men's US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, paying a record amount to obtain the item at an auction.
Alcaraz and Sinner faced each other for the third straight time in a Grand Slam final when they met at the 2025 US Open. The dynamic duo had split their earlier two meetings, with Alcaraz winning Roland Garros while Sinner prevailed at Wimbledon.
Their third consecutive encounter saw the Spaniard dethrone the World No.1 as Flushing Meadows champion, behind a decisive four-set victory. Alcaraz sealed his victory with an ace to win his sixth overall Grand Slam singles title, but the fate of the ball used on that point went unnoticed.
It was later revealed that a Sotheby's representative authenticated the ball immediately after the match. It was then taken off the premises and prepared for auction.
Championship-point ball fetches record amount
The online auction was held from September 4 through Tuesday, September 23. The ball was sold for $88,900, setting a record for the most paid of a tennis ball at a public auction.
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Furthermore, a ball WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka used for championship point in her 2025 U.S. Open women's singles finale win over American Amanda Anisimova sold for $4,064 at the Sotheby's auction. By comparison, the US Open shop sells sets of three official tennis balls for $10.
A total of 29 items were sold, including more than a dozen tennis balls, two rackets and match-worn shirts, shoes and a dress. A pair of signed Nike Vapor 12 sneakers Alcaraz wore in his semifinal win over Novak Djokovic sold for $57,150, with a match-point ball from that meeting selling for $31,750.
A signed racket used by former World No.1 Naomi Osaka in her semifinal loss to Anisimova sold for $16,510. Osaka's custom purple Nike dress, which she also signed, from her quarterfinal win over No. 15 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, sold for $15,240.
A custom orange Nike shirt Sinner wore in his second-round win over Alexei Popyrin sold for $7,620. A signed custom white ON shirt worn by Iga Swiatek during her second round win over Suzan Lamens sold for $6,350. The auction also included two shirts and four pairs of shoes worn by Swiatek at the tournament.
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Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
mandoist29-10-2026 - Boss move, Sinner !Rapunzel27-10-2026
- Apparently still refusing to seek 'help' ...and still playing Dress-Up like a 10 year-old.
mandoist27-10-2026 - Lena... Takin' care of business
mandoist25-10-2026 - Can you please stop publishing this nonsense? Stick to Tennis.
mandoist25-10-2026 - Does Sinner need that 4.5 mil? I doubt it. He can make that with three modelling gigs!😅🤣Rapunzel21-10-2026
- Did "People Magazine" purchase this website? This nonstop storyline is bullshit.
mandoist21-10-2026









