2026 Predictions: Alcaraz, Sinner, and Sabalenka lead the world of tennis

The 2025 Grand Slam season came to an end last week in New York, with Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz taking home the US Open trophies.It was a memorable season at the year’s Slams. Four women took the titles: Madison Keys (Australian Open), Coco Gauff (Roland Garros), Iga Swiatek (Wimbledon), and Sabalenka. On the men’s side, things were more straightforward, with Alcaraz (who also won at Roland Garros) and Jannik Sinner (Australian Open and Wimbledon) sharing the titles.Keys was the only champion for the first time in 2025. Alexander Zverev was the only man who was not named Alcaraz or Sinner to reach a Grand Slam final.But while Sabalenka and Alcaraz celebrate their recent successes, and despite the fact that there is still a lot of tennis to be played this year, it’s time to start looking towards 2026. There are only four months left until the start of the main draw of the Australian Open.It’s a difficult task to make predictions about next season’s Slams, but that won’t stop us from trying. Here are the main contenders in each of the Grand Slam tournaments in 2026.

Australian Open

Dates: January 18 – February 1Headquarters: Melbourne, AustraliaDefending champions: Keys and SinnerTop female contenders: Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, and Naomi OsakaSabalenka will arrive in Melbourne with the intention of reclaiming the trophy and will be driven by her recent US Open title. Sabalenka, a two-time champion of the event, came very close to achieving the coveted triple before being defeated by Keys in this year’s final. She will be more than eager to win her fifth Grand Slam title on her favorite surface and at one of her favorite tournaments.After a tough fourth-round defeat in New York, Gauff should enter the new year with those issues, hopefully, resolved after having dedicated time to work with Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert hired to do precisely that. One of the toughest to beat on hard court when at her best, Gauff reached the Melbourne semi-finals in 2024 and the quarter-finals this year.Swiatek also reminded everyone how good she can be on that surface this year with a win in Cincinnati before the US Open and a run to the quarterfinals in New York. She is a two-time semifinalist, including the one in 2025, and will seek to complete the career Grand Slam in Australia.And, of course, there’s Osaka. The four-time Grand Slam champion, including twice at the Australian Open, has resurfaced this summer with a final at the Canadian Open and a semi-final appearance in New York. She has returned to number 14 in the ranking, her best result since returning from maternity leave in early 2024, and will try to take her comeback even further.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Iva JovicPegula, a three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, reached the US Open 2024 final and had a run to the semifinals in New York this year. She has defeated top contenders on the surface before, why not in Melbourne when there’s so much at stake?Anisimova reached consecutive Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open and recorded some impressive wins along the way. Now that she has these experiences under her belt, a Grand Slam title feels more like a “when” than an “if”.And, although it’s certainly a remote possibility, would anyone be completely surprised to see Jovic have a great career, or even sweep in Australia? The 17-year-old, who was the junior champion of the 2024 Australian Open, won the first title of her career on Sunday at the Guadalajara Open 500 level. She became the youngest champion on the circuit this season and is now among the top 40 in the rankings. Certainly, we have seen more unexpected winners in recent years.

Main male contenders: Sinner, Alcaraz, and Novak DjokovicSinner and Alcaraz will be the clear favorites at each Grand Slam in the immediate future. The two have combined to win all the Grand Slam titles in the last two seasons and it’s hard to see that changing anytime soon. Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, is still the next best hope, despite being 38 years old, and there is a considerable gap between him and the rest of the group.Sinner is the two-time defending champion of the Australian Open. Can he become the first man since Djokovic to win three in a row? Absolutely! He definitely could and will likely be the favorite entering the tournament.But Alcaraz, like Swiatek, will seek to complete the career Grand Slam and win his first Australian Open title. He is now the world number 1 and, with titles at the US Open and Cincinnati, has apparently shortened the gap on hard court with Sinner and will almost certainly surpass his previous best result of quarter-finals.Djokovic is a ten-time champion in Australia, having most recently won in 2023, and will continue his quest to break the all-time record for most Grand Slam titles. But even he admitted the challenge that will be before the new Big Two.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Ben Shelton and ZverevShelton, 22, seems to have as much chance as anyone of challenging Alcaraz and Sinner in Grand Slam tournaments, and could certainly do so in Melbourne on his preferred surface. The current world number 6 reached the semi-finals this season and won the Canadian Open in August. Assuming his shoulder is healthy, he could have what it takes to surprise the world.Zverev reached the 2025 final and is a three-time Grand Slam finalist. After falling to Sinner last year in Melbourne, he said he wasn’t sure if he would ever win a Grand Slam trophy. Since then, he reached the quarterfinals in Paris, lost in the first round at Wimbledon, and was eliminated in the third round of the US Open. Perhaps Melbourne can be where it all changes.

Roland Garros

Dates: May 24 – June 7Headquarters: Paris, FranceDefending champions: Gauff and AlcarazMain female contenders: Swiatek, Gauff, SabalenkaSwiatek is a four-time champion at Roland Garros and had been the big favorite to win the 2025 title before being surprised by Sabalenka in the semifinals. Despite this year’s setback, or perhaps in part because of it, Swiatek will likely be the favorite again in Paris and will be determined to regain her status as “Queen of Clay”.Gauff, however, has certainly shown how talented she can be on the surface. She reached the finals in both Madrid and Rome before Roland Garros and will seek her first consecutive Grand Slam title.Sabalenka, who Gauff defeated in the final, will also hope to avenge her three-set defeat in the championship match and prove that she can win on natural surfaces.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, Zheng QinwenAndreeva, 18, reached the 2024 semi-finals in Paris and followed it up with a quarter-final appearance this season (and reached the semi-finals in doubles). Champion in two 1000-level tournaments this season, she is poised for her breakthrough and a title seems inevitable. Will it be this year?Paolini, finalist of Roland Garros (and Wimbledon) 2024, did not match her success in 2025, but won the doubles title in Paris and took the trophy at her home clay tournament in Rome. She remains a dominant force on the surface, in both singles and doubles. And, Zheng, who took the 2024 Olympic gold at Roland Garros, has been sidelined since Wimbledon with an elbow injury and subsequent surgery, but is expected to return later this month.

Top male contenders: Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic

These three again? These three again. In 2025, Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, fought for the title against Sinner in a classic final that lasted five hours and 29 minutes. Many tennis fans will probably ask for a rematch, and they could certainly get it. Alcaraz has the advantage on clay, but as Sinner had just returned from a three-month suspension in May, he will probably be an even more formidable opponent in 2026 on that surface, and with the added incentive of trying to complete the career Grand Slam.

Djokovic is a three-time champion at Roland Garros, with his most recent title in 2023. He lost only one set on his way to the 2025 semi-finals before falling to Sinner, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3).Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Lorenzo Musetti, Zverev, Holger RuneIt was an impressive 2025 for Musetti on clay. He reached the semifinals in Paris for the first time and even won the first set against Alcaraz before retiring due to injury in the fourth set. He also reached the final in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 event and the semifinals in both Madrid and Rome. At only 23 years old, it’s hard to think that he won’t continue to improve and become an even greater force in 2026.Zverev, finalist in 2024, won the 500-level title in Munich in April and has reached the quarterfinals or better in seven appearances at Roland Garros. It remains one of his best tournaments, and if he’s going to win one, it might well be there. Rune, 22, was thought to be in the same category as Alcaraz and Sinner, but hasn’t had comparable success. Still, he’s had some of his strongest performances on clay, including the title win in Barcelona this year with a victory over Alcaraz in the final, and has reached the quarterfinals twice at Roland Garros.

Wimbledon

Dates: June 29 – July 12Headquarters: London, United KingdomDefending champions: Swiatek and SinnerTop female contenders: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Elena RybakinaWith little grass experience due to her typically long clay season, few expected Swiatek to lift the trophy at the All England Club. But after her somewhat early exit at Roland Garros, Swiatek set her sights on the grass, and it paid off. Having played in only three main draws on the surface, apart from Wimbledon in previous years, Swiatek reached the final in Bad Homburg during a preparation event and then dominated at Wimbledon. She had never before advanced beyond the quarterfinals, but she won the title with an astonishing performance, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Anisimova in the final. She confessed that she wasn’t sure she could do it again at Wimbledon after winning, but with the way her game came together on the grass, she could be the favorite next year.Sabalenka, a three-time semi-finalist, was devastated by Anisimova in the semi-finals, but promised she would come back stronger. Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam tournament in which she has not reached the final and will likely do everything possible to change that in 2026.Rybakina, the 2022 champion, has had an uneven journey at the All England Club, and elsewhere, since her triumph. She reached the quarterfinals in 2023, the semifinals in 2024, and was defeated in the third round this year. Still, she is always a contender on the surface and knows what it takes to win at the historic venue.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Anisimova, AndreevaAnisimova was masterful in her first six matches at the All England Club this year, especially during her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 semi-final victory over Sabalenka, in which she convincingly kept her nerves during the most crucial points of the tense encounter. Having also reached the final at Queen’s Club in June, her first grass court final, Anisimova has shown that she has what it takes on the surface. While the final wasn’t exactly her best, she should be a fan favorite in 2026 thanks to her courteous speech and behavior after the unbalanced defeat.Andreeva, who reached the fourth round in her Wimbledon debut in 2023, had her best result this year by reaching the quarterfinals. She fell in two tiebreaks against Belinda Bencic and could not advance to the semifinals, but more experience in difficult moments will only help her in the future.

Top male contenders: Alcaraz, Sinner, DjokovicAlcaraz won the title in 2023 and 2024, defeating Djokovic in both finals, and seemed to be on his way to achieving the triple before Sinner spoiled the final. Losing the first set, Sinner came back to win in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It was the only set that Sinner lost at the All England Club this year.While Alcaraz left as the runner-up, he still has a ridiculous career record of 35-4 on grass and is a four-time champion on the surface, including at the 2025 Queen’s Club event in June. The defeat to Sinner marked his first loss in a final on the surface.Djokovic is a seven-time Wimbledon champion. Although he lost to Sinner in straight sets in the semi-finals this year, he still feels that the tournament is still his best chance to break the record, but it will only be more difficult in 2026.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Taylor Fritz, Jack DraperFritz, the long-time leader of American men and often considered their best hope to break the now 22-year major drought, has come close. He reached the final of the 2024 US Open and recorded his first semi-final appearance at the All England Club this year after two previous quarter-final runs. Fritz is a five-time champion on grass, including this year’s titles in Eastbourne (his fourth at the event) and Stuttgart. While he came closest to a major title in New York, grass could be his best surface, and he has the experience to back it up and possibly pull off a surprise win or two.And, of course, don’t rule out Draper, the local favorite. There’s nothing the crowd wants to see more. He ended his 2025 season early due to an arm injury, but should be back in time for the start of 2026. While he has never advanced beyond the second round at Wimbledon, he reached the semi-finals at the 2024 US Open and has had some success on grass with a final appearance in 2024 in Stuttgart and a semi-final run at Queen’s Club this year.

US Open

Dates: August 30 – September 13Headquarters: New YorkDefending champions: Sabalenka and AlcarazTop female contenders: Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, OsakaThe end of the season is always complicated, as players often struggle with fatigue, motivation, and injuries, but the top-ranked women should still be the favorites in the last Grand Slam of the year.Sabalenka is now the two-time defending champion and has won over the New York public. She is confident and feels comfortable in the tournament and will not let this triple opportunity pass without a serious fight.Gauff, the 2023 champion, will want to prove that her exits from the fourth round this year and last year were flukes. If her service problems are left behind, she will have as many chances as anyone to win the title.Of course, Swiatek, the 2022 champion, and Osaka, the 2018 and 2020 champion, will also be looking to end their 2026 seasons with a trophy. Swiatek matched her best result since winning with a quarterfinal run this year, and it was abundantly clear that she believed she could go further. It was also evident how much it meant to Osaka, 27, to reach the semifinals this year, and it’s hard to think she won’t be driven by that run, and that feeling, next season.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Anisimova, Karolina Muchova, Victoria MbokoAfter her Wimbledon run, Anisimova followed it up by reaching the US Open final, and even avenged the defeat against Swiatek in the quarterfinals in a resounding manner, 6-4, 6-3. Then she defeated Osaka in the semifinals in a tough battle 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3. While she didn’t find the same level against Sabalenka in the final 6-3, 7-6 (3), her valiant effort in the second set to force a tiebreak showed her progress and mental fortitude. Winning the 2026 title would complete her definitive comeback after a break from the sport in 2023.Muchova is a two-time US Open semi-finalist and reached the quarter-finals this year. She was the runner-up at Roland Garros 2023 and is always in the mix, even when hampered by injuries or periods of inactivity. Her versatile game and pure athleticism make her a contender wherever she goes.Mboko, 19, had a disappointing exit in the first round of the US Open this year, but her incredible performance at the Canadian Open, in which she won the title, made her a name to remember. She started the year outside the top 300 and is now number 23, and only getting better. Expect more groundbreaking performances for the Canadian in 2026.

Top male contenders: Alcaraz, Sinner, DjokovicBoth Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, and Sinner, the defending champion, were dominant in their respective runs to the final in New York.Alcaraz and his constantly improving serve didn’t drop a set and lost only two service games. He defeated Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the semifinals. Sinner was pushed to four sets twice, but he almost never seemed to be in trouble. Alexander Bublik, the tournament’s 23rd seed, compared him to AI after losing to him 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth round.Alcaraz outplayed Sinner for much of the final, losing only one set and one service game, and claimed the title, leading to what could be a fascinating rematch between the two in 2026.Djokovic is a four-time champion in New York. It’s difficult to predict how he will fare at this stage next year, or what he might say about his future in the sport, but one would imagine he will give it his all.Best chance for a Grand Slam champion for the first time: Shelton, Fritz, Draper, Felix Auger-AliassimeLoved by the American public for his great game and even greater service and spectacle, Shelton reached the semi-finals in 2023 and many believed he could match that this season before his injury. He has shown how good he can be on hard court and how much he thrives with the public behind him, so this could be the best opportunity for someone other than the Big Two to win a major trophy in 2026.Fritz, who will be two years away from his appearance in the final, will also seek to do so in a place he knows well, as will former semi-finalists Draper and Auger-Aliassime, who has reached the round twice, including this year. Auger-Aliassime, a 25-year-old Canadian, struggled after losing the first set to Sinner in the semi-finals and eventually fell in four sets. The winner of two 2025 titles on the surface, Auger-Aliassime will have even more confidence in the new season and all that could help him next September in New York.