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Aryna Sabalenka has revealed her excitement to take on the “unpredictable” Nick Kyrgios in their high-profile ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdown this weekend.

Reigning WTA world No 1 Sabalenka and Kyrgios will face off inside the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai this Sunday (December 28), in a showdown that has attracted huge attention and debate, both within and outside of tennis.

Both the Belarusian and Kyrgios, a former world No 13 and 2022 Wimbledon finalist, have defended their encounter in recent weeks, with the likes of Billie Jean King and Garbine Muguruza among those criticising the event.

The match will be broadcast live across the world and is likely to attract huge interest and debate, ahead of the upcoming 2026 season.

Speaking in a new interview with Gulf News ahead of the ‘Battle of the Sexes’, four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka revealed that she was looking to “push” tennis in different directions.

“I’m really excited,” said the world No 1.

“Nick is one of the most talented and unpredictable players in the game, and he brings an intensity and entertainment factor that fans love.

“I enjoy challenges that push the sport in new directions. This match is competitive, fun and on a big stage, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sabalenka and Kyrgios’s match will take place inside the Coca-Cola Arena, a 17,000-capacity indoor stadium in the heart of Dubai.

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While the arena itself is new for both players and for tennis, having been predominantly used for concerts in the past, Dubai is hardly new territory for either player.

Several players across both the ATP and WTA Tours are based in the city, and the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships are held in February every year, an event at which Sabalenka often participates.

The world No 1 has never made it past the last eight of the WTA 1000 event, but is looking forward to once again competing in the city.

She added: “Dubai is always an amazing place to play.

“The facilities, organisation and fans are top class, and the tournament keeps getting better every year. I love coming back here — the energy around tennis in Dubai is something I really enjoy.”

Action between Sabalenka and Kyrgios is scheduled to start at approximately 20:00 local time on Sunday.

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The parting message from Juan Carlos Ferrero after the shock news that his days as Carlos Alcaraz’s coach had come to an end left the door open for a possible reunion, but that option appears to have been slammed shut by the events of recent days.

No one saw the highly successful partnership of Ferrero and Alcaraz coming to an end after a year that saw the Spaniard claim two more Grand Slam titles and finish 2025 as world No 1.

Ferrero was named Coach of the Year a few days before he was removed from the entourage of the world’s top player.

Yet there was a perception that this very close bond that has been built since Alcaraz emerged as a rising star of Spanish tennis could be repaired when heads cleared and at some stage in the New Year.

That was before Ferrero spoke to the media about his anger and annoyance at his very public termination, with these comments confirming that the split with Team Alcaraz is more than just a blip in their story.

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“Everything seemed to be going well,” Ferrero told Marca. “It’s true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on.

“As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’s camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed.

“Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn’t, and we decided not to continue. That’s really what happened.

“There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways.

“I think maybe we both need some time to fully process this breakup. It’s not so easy. Right now, I’m hurting.

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“These kinds of relationships are difficult to end overnight. And there has to be a grieving period. And, above all, I suppose it will also hurt when I see him play in tournaments. A lot of shared experiences come into play there. I think it’s going to take some time.”

Alcaraz’s camp will not be impressed by Ferrero’s decision to speak to the media so soon after the split, but the former French Open champion doubtless felt he need to put his point across amid claims that his excessive financial demands were part of the reason for his exit.

Ferrero confirmed he was given a healthy percentage of Alcaraz’s winnings in his initial agreements with the Spanish champion, as he was playing such a key role in his early development.

As Alcaraz’s prize money rose, its as inevitable that Ferrero would need to take a smaller cut of his earnings, but was keen to douse that theory as he stated: “I’ve tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn’t one of the problems and it was not the reason I was in this project.”

Now the onus will flip back to Alcaraz to explain the split when he faces the media ahead of the Australian Open and it’s inevitable that this story will be a distraction for the 22-year-old as he looks to win the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection at the Australian Open next month.

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Aryna Sabalenka has revealed she has learnt to “embrace the pressure” of being world No 1 after hitting a milestone 70 weeks atop the WTA Rankings.

Reigning world No 1 Sabalenka has proven to be one of the leading WTA Tour players of her generation, with the 27-year-old winning four Grand Slam singles titles to date.

The Belarusian was ranked as the world No 1 for the first time in September 2023 and, after losing her ranking to Iga Swiatek in November that year, regained top spot in October 2024.

Sabalenka has reigned as the world No 1 ever since then, and in 2025 has become just the seventh woman to spend a full calendar (Jan – Dec) year at the very top of the WTA Rankings, since the official system first launched in 1975.

Her current run of 62 weeks at the top is the 15th-longest streak atop the WTA Rankings, while her overall total of 70 weeks is the 12th-most of the 29 women to hold the world No 1 ranking.

She has been a consistent figure at the very top of the women’s game in recent years and, in a new interview with Gulf News, opened up about handling expectations as the best player in the world.

Sabalenka said: “Of course there’s pressure, but it’s also a privilege.

“Being No 1 means you’re doing something right. I’ve learned to embrace that pressure instead of fearing it. I trust my preparation, my team and my game, and that helps me stay focused when expectations are high.”

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2025 was another hugely successful year for Sabalenka, highlighted by her run to a fourth major singles title at the US Open, beating home favourite Amanda Anisimova in the final.

The Belarusian also triumphed at WTA 1000 events in Miami and Madrid, and lifted the WTA 500 Brisbane International title, claiming a tour-leading four WTA titles across the season.

Sabalenka also reached a further five finals in 2025, most notably finishing as the Australian Open, French Open, and WTA Finals runner-up.

Frustration was evident after some of her defeats in big matches, but her overall consistency stood out compared to many of her WTA rivals across the year.

The 27-year-old will start the 2026 season attempting to defend her title in Brisbane, and revealed that she was highly “motivated” to build on her success from recent years.

“The priority is staying healthy, improving consistency and continuing to evolve my game,” she added.

“I’m always looking for small areas where I can get better, both physically and mentally. Preparations are going well, and I’m motivated to keep building on the level I’ve reached this season.”

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Andy Roddick has questioned Novak Djokovic’s future after labelling the Serb’s 2025 season as both ‘impressive’ and ‘disappointing’, given the Serb’s current goals and age.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams this season, but was unable to collect a set in any of the matches.

As a result of his consistent performances, Djokovic ended the season ranked as the world No 4.

His ranking was also aided by two ATP 250 titles, one in Geneva (defeating Hubert Hurkacz) and the other in Athens (defeating Lorenzo Musetti).

However, Djokovic has made no secret that his main goal for the remainder of his career is to win a record-breaking 25^th Grand Slam title.

Roddick, who won the 2003 US Open, weighed in with his analysis of Djokovic’s aims for 2026.

“At this stage of the last four, it feels like he can turn on and off being a top-three or four player in the world. That’s Novak Djokovic, right?” the American began on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.

“How do we judge this year against his career? Any year where he doesn’t win a major is probably disappointing for him. And this year was insane to watch.

“He was basically a part-time tennis player who was still the third-best player in the world. It’s a joke. It’s unbelievably impressive.

“Carlos Alcaraz didn’t play unbelievably well at Wimbledon this year either – at least not by his own absurd standards. We judge him against his own shadow now.

“He’s already an all-time great and the world No. 1, but a couple of small things shift and suddenly Novak’s path looks different.”

Indeed, Djokovic has defied all of the standard norms of what a 38-year-old tennis player can achieve, but – as comes to almost every athlete – the impact of age has been on display more than ever over the last 12 months.

At the Australian Open, the Serb injured his hamstring, which forced him to retire from his semi-final clash against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set 7-6(5) – setting back his preparation for subsequent tournaments.

During his last-eight match at Wimbledon, against Flavio Cobolli, Djokovic jarred his hip before clinching the victory.

However, the slip – which the former world No 1 attributed to ‘wear and tear ‘ – meant that he was severely compromised against Jannik Sinner in the semi-final.

Whilst his body appears to be declining, both Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner are slowly entering their prime years, and will , likely, only improve over the remainder of Djokovic’s career.

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“That’s the whole thing. After the US Open, Novak openly questioned whether he can train the way he used to,” added Roddick.

“You can’t train that psychotically — and I mean that as a compliment — at 38 years old,” Roddick said.

“And if you can’t train that way, then can your body hold up over two weeks, best-of-five sets, at a major? This year, by his own admission, the answer was no.

“He said that he doesn’t know if his body will hold up. That when he reaches a Grand Slam semifinal, he doesn’t know if he can win if his body is already exhausted.

“That’s the most important question of this conversation.”

Djokovic is due to begin his 2026 season at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, January 12 – 17, and will look to gain crucial match preparation before the Melbourne Grand Slam.

Jon Werthiem, the co-host of Roddick’s podcast and a regular contributor to the Tennis Channel, agreed with much of the former world No 1’s assessment, but added that Djokovic will ‘like’ the challenge of having to overcome both his body and rivals.

“He really likes this challenge,” Werthiem said.

“Some people are like I have to get up, I used to win these majors, now I have to go through these.

“I think he loves this challenge of bending time. Knowing him a little bit, you sense that anyway, but talking to people who were very close to him.

“ I think the great ones always find something, sometimes it is completely concocted, sometimes it’s a legitimate rival. I think he loves this challenge of can I outflank time? I think he is leaning into that.”

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Rafael Nadal has revealed that he does not “identify” with either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner as the tennis legend discussed the differences between the world’s two best players.

Tennis icon and 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal called time on his career in November 2024, though he remains a dominant figure within the sport.

The Spaniard was part of an iconic generation of men’s tennis alongside both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and their dominance has quickly been followed by a new era of the sport, led by Alcaraz and Sinner.

Many predicted men’s tennis to become more open following the end of the ‘Big 3’ era, but Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to dominate the ATP Tour over the past two seasons — and have now swept the last eight Grand Slam singles titles between them.

Alcaraz is already a six-time Grand Slam champion at just 22 years old, while 24-year-old Sinner has won four major titles and reached the final of every Slam in 2025.

With no obvious rival for the ‘New 2’ as things stand, comparisons have regularly been made between the Italian and Spaniard’s different styles and personalities on the court, while both have often been compared to the ‘Big 3’.

Nadal was asked about which of the two men he identified with more in a new interview with Spanish website AS, and pointed out how “different” they were to him — and to each other.

He said (translated from Spanish): “I don’t identify with either of them. They’re different players than I used to be.

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“I think Carlos is more unpredictable: he makes more mistakes, plays more spectacular points, and sometimes doesn’t have such a defined playing style, which makes him unpredictable and fun for the spectator.

“Jannik is a more methodical, focused player, with a more defined playing style, and he adds things little by little, which is why he’s so solid and loses so few matches.

“Sometimes it seems like Carlos is more scattered, but when you look at the results… he’s had an incredibly consistent and solid year in all the major tournaments.

“That’s why it makes me laugh when I hear that he’s scattered: the results say otherwise, that’s my point of view.”

Nadal was recently present as an ambassador at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, though appearances at events since his retirement last year have remained sporadic.

Meanwhile, both Alcaraz and Sinner are gearing up to resume their rivalry in 2026, with the pair heavy favourites once again to dominate at the very highest level.

Fans will get a first glimpse of the two on court together in a special exhibition match in South Korea next month.

That will then be followed by the Australian Open, the first official tournament for both men in 2026.

Alcaraz enters the opening major of the year looking to complete the Career Grand Slam, while Sinner will look to make it three titles in a row, having triumphed Down Under in 2024 and 2025.

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The 2025 WTA Tour season was one of the strongest in recent memory, and several key stars made significant breakthroughs over the past twelve months.

Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva, and Ekaterina Alexandrova were among those who made their top-10 WTA Rankings debuts this season, and all eyes will now be on who can make similar progress in 2026.

Here, we name five WTA Tour stars who could break into the top 10 for the very first time in 2026.

Clara Tauson

Current Ranking: 12th
Career-high Ranking: 12th

Long-recognised as one of the brightest talents in the women’s game, Tauson soared up the WTA Rankings in 2025 — and could be in line for a huge 2026 campaign.

The Dane ended 2024 ranked 52nd in the world but scaled to a stunning new career-high of 12th by the end of 2025, her season highlighted by her run to the Auckland Open title in January.

After spells with injury, that was the 23-year-old’s first title in almost four years, and she would later reach her first WTA 1000 final in Dubai, before progressing to the last four of the Canadian Open.

Tauson’s big-hitting game and huge serving are her most significant assets, and she is in touching distance of a huge breakthrough in the opening months of next year.

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Linda Noskova

Current Ranking: 13th
Career-high Ranking: 13th

Similar to Tauson, a career-best 2025 season has placed world No 13 Noskova at a staggering career-high ahead of what could be a landmark 2026 for the Czech ace.

Noskova did not win a WTA title this year but reached three finals, most significantly progressing to her first WTA 1000-level final at the China Open in Beijing.

The 21-year-old struggled in the opening months of the season but was incredibly strong during the second half of 2025, and made both her top 20 and top 15 rankings debuts.

One of the best servers on the WTA Tour, Noskova looks set to be the latest in a long line of Czech stars competing at the very top of the women’s game.

Liudmila Samsonova

Current Ranking: 17th
Career-high Ranking: 12th

Samsonova has been a well-established figure on the WTA Tour for a number of years, and always seems capable of pushing the very best on her day.

Consistency has been a key issue for the Russian across her career but 2025 proved to be a strong year for her, with her year-end ranking of 17th up ten places from 2024.

The 27-year-old reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon and also made the fourth round of Roland Garros, alongside reaching the final in Strasbourg.

A clean and composed ballstriker, Samsonova could be a dark horse for a top-10 debut in 2026 — similarly to compatriot Alexandrova this year.

Victoria Mboko

Current Ranking: 18th
Career-high Ranking: 18th

Few WTA players broke through quite as dramatically as Mboko in 2025, and all eyes will be on how the Canadian fares as she looks to back up her success in 2026.

Mboko was outside the top 300 at the start of the year before a stellar run on the ITF Tour, though she then propelled herself inside the top 30 after her stunning Canadian Open triumph.

The 19-year-old struggled to back that up initially, though she then captured her second WTA Tour title in Hong Kong — and proceeded to crack the top 20 as a result.

With limited points to defend across the opening months of the year, Mboko has the prime opportunity to surge up the WTA Rankings this season.

Diana Shnaider

Current Ranking: 21st
Career-high Ranking: 11th

After a breakout 2024 campaign, Shnaider went through somewhat of a sophomore slump in 2025, with the Russian dropping back down the WTA Rankings.

However, despite a challenging season, the 21-year-old is only just outside the top 20 of the WTA Rankings, and will now have the chance to surge back up the standings across 2026.

There is no doubting Shnaider’s potential, and the star is already the winner of five WTA Tour titles, despite only playing on tour for three seasons.

Having reached world No 11 in the opening months of 2025, a resurgent Shnaider could be one to watch over the next twelve months.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas is reportedly set for a major racket change ahead of the upcoming 2026 season, with the Greek star looking to get back on track after a disappointing 2025.

A former world No 3 and two-time Grand Slam champion at the very peak of his powers, Tsitsipas ended 2025 down at 34th in the ATP Rankings, with an underwhelming 22-18 win-loss record to his name.

It was the Greek’s lowest year-end ranking since 2017, when he finished the year 91st in the world, and continued a slump that had started in 2024 — with the Greek having now finished outside the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for a second straight year.

Tsitsipas was dogged by poor form throughout the season and was also affected by a recurring back issue across the second half of the year.

And, as the 27-year-old aims to get his career firmly back on track in 2026, he looks set to make a key change.

Reports from Greek tennis website tennis24 have revealed that Tsitsipas is set to move away from his longstanding Wilson Blade 98 racket and instead start using the Babolat Pure Aero 98.

The Greek is reportedly training with his new racket ahead of the new season, having experimented with different designs across the year.

Tsitsipas first sparked attention by playing with a blacked-out racket during the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, where he lifted the title at the ATP 500 event — one of his few highlights of the season.

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The 27-year-old ultimately decided not to make a permanent racket change across the rest of what proved to be a tumultuous season, in which his form and ranking dipped significantly.

However, he hopes his new racket can help power him to new heights in 2026 and beyond, and potentially return him towards the top of the men’s game.

The Greek has won titles at every level other than Grand Slams, and he will still likely have hopes of winning an elusive major title.

Tsitsipas is set to start his season at the United Cup, where he will team up with the likes of WTA Tour star Maria Sakarri in the mixed team event.

He is then set to join the likes of Novak Djokovic in the field of the Adelaide International, before the opening Grand Slam of the year at the Australian Open.

Tsitsipas was a finalist at the Australian Open in 2023 and has reached the semi-final on a further three occasions, though he was beaten in round one by Alex Michelsen last year.

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Former world No 4 Greg Rusedski has revealed he is “not seeing” Joao Fonseca as an automatic rival for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, despite a breakout 2025 campaign.

Teen star Fonseca has long been recognised as one of the hottest prospects in the men’s game, and followed in Alcaraz and Sinner’s footsteps by triumphing at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2024.

Starting the year ranked outside the top 140, the 19-year-old finished the year ranked 24th in the world, winning his maiden ATP Tour titles at the Argentina Open and Swiss Indoors.

Fonseca also won at least one main-draw match at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2025, memorably coming through qualifying at the Australian Open to reach the second round — beating Andrey Rublev on his major debut.

The Brazilian then reached the third round of both the French Open and Wimbledon and round two of the US Open, with the 19-year-old set to be seeded at a Grand Slam event for the first time at the 2026 Australian Open.

Many have compared the rise of Fonseca to that of Alcaraz and Sinner, who have proven to be the dominant ATP Tour players of recent years.

The Spaniard and Italian have swept the last eight Grand Slam titles, and all eyes are on whether and when someone can challenge their dominance.

Fonseca has long been named as a potential challenger to the ‘New 2’, but 1997 US Open runner-up Rusedski has urged caution regarding the Brazilian.

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Speaking on his new Off Court With Greg podcast, the former British No 1 claimed Fonseca is not showing the same potential as Alcaraz and Sinner were as young players.

“Fonseca to me, I am not seeing it yet,” said Rusedski

“He played great in Australia at the beginning of the year and beat Rublev and it was like: ‘Wow, who is this kid?’ But people have figured him out. They have figured out how to break him down now.

“He is still young and there is time but he is still too green, as I like to call it. There is still a long developmental period of at least two years before we see what he is made of.

“He is not like when I saw Carlos as a 15-year-old, or I saw Jannik. Everybody is talking about him. But remember [Alexander] Zverev, everyone was saying he is the next heir. But lo and behold, the big three go and then Carlos and Sinner show up.”

It is not too long until Fonseca returns to action, with the 2026 ATP Tour season underway in less than two weeks.

The Brazilian is currently set to start his season at the Brisbane International, with Fonseca currently in line to be the sixth seed at the ATP 250 event, joining the likes of Daniil Medvedev in the field.

Fonseca will then compete at the Adelaide International the following week, before then heading to Melbourne for Australian Open action.

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Merry Christmas! Hopefully you are enjoying your day and any tennis-related presents under your tree but while you try to sleep off the vast amount of food you’ve just eaten, here’s what we reckon some of the top tennis players will be hoping for in 2026.

From a 25th Grand Slam to a year of consistency, here’s what we think some of the tour players will be wishing for this Christmas.

Carlos Alcaraz

If it is possible to find a black mark on Alcaraz’s impressive CV, it would be the Australian Open.

While he has won the other three majors, Alcaraz has only ever made it as far as the quarters in Melbourne and his hope of besting that in 2026 comes amidst a backdrop of the most uncertainty of his career to date.

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s departure was a shock and everyone is waiting to see what the immediate future of Alcaraz will look like.

For now, Sami Lopez will take over on an interim basis but an Australian Open would end any speculation that Alcaraz had made the wrong choice.

Wish: The Australian Open (and a smooth start to 2026)

Jannik Sinner

It was around this time of year 12 months ago that the word clostebol never seemed to be too far away from Jannik Sinner.

The then World No.1 was in the midst of a doping controversy that would eventually be resolved with a three-month ban.

But whether you agree with the length of the ban (and the convenient timing) or not, that is all in the past for Sinner and he could do with an incident-free season.

The obvious goal is winning back World No.1 and he will also be targeting the French Open to complement the set and exercise some demons from last year.

Wish: A controversy-free season

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic may have unwrapped some lovely presents this morning but if there was at the very top of his wishlist, it would be a 25th Slam.

He is already the record men’s holder but a 25th and presumably final one would round out an incredible career.

The only issue is the existence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic’s ability to regularly reach semi-finals has shown he is still better than most of the players on the tour but when it comes to those two, they remain a very tricky wall to pass through.

You suspect his best chance for No.25 is Australia given his history there and the uncertainty surrounding Alcaraz but even then, it looks to be a tall order.

Wish: Grand Slam No 25

Aryna Sabalenka

2025 was not a perfect year for Sabalenka by any means but she held onto the No 1 spot despite just the one Grand Slam win.

In the Slams, she reached the finals of Australia and France but will feel like she let it get away from her more than her being beaten – as her post Roland Garros comments will contend.

The good news then is that she will feel more titles are eminently possible and converting those chances will be top of her agenda.

She also has the upcoming Battle of Sexes and while she will want to win, avoiding an embarrassing defeat that has everyone questioning the purpose of such an event will also be a priority.

Wish: Converting Grand Slam opportunities

Iga Swiatek

It is hard to easily sum up Swiatek’s 2025. On one hand, she dominated Amanda Anisimova to win the Wimbledon final without losing a game but then she also had a rough start to the year that saw her slip down the rankings.

The Wimbledon win was a highlight of an up and down season and as she looks to 2026, a strong start will be high on her wishlist.

The first Slam of the year is also her weakest having not only never won it but never reached the final and doing so will give her a great start on her quest to reclaim World No.1.

Wish: A better start to the year than 2025

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Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev and everyone else not called Carlos or Jannik

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner crushed a lot of dreams in 2025 as they produced a clean sweep of Grand Slams and for the chasing pack, the goal for 2026 has to be at least make them sweat.

The men’s side of Grand Slams singles draws has become almost formulaic in waiting for the final to come as Alcaraz and Sinner reign supreme but for the other top players, just waiting for one of those to have an off day is not something you want to pin all your hopes on.

Taylor Fritz’s defeat of Alcaraz at the Laver Cup should give him and the others confidence that the top two are not invulnerable but all of the top players need to start showing that on a more consistent basis.

Wish: To move out of the shadow of Alcaraz and Sinner

Emma Raducanu

2025 may not have had the highs of her 2021 season but there were plenty of positives for Emma Raducanu to take away from the year.

The most pleasing aspect for her will be how much tennis she played and her tally of 50 tour matches is the best of her career to date.

It was in the WTA 1000 events that she most impressed in terms of showing up and even if a quarter final in Miami was her best run, entering 10 tournaments shows any fitness concerns are behind her.

As for 2026, Raducanu and her team will want more of the same and while titles may be a step too far, you have to be in it to win it.

Wish: Another year of consistency

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Carlos Alcaraz will head into the Australian Open looking to join the ranks of the all-time greats of tennis by completing his collection of all four Grand Slam titles, but he is under huge pressure to protect his ranking in the opening half of 2026.

Opportunity will knock of Alcaraz in Melbourne, as he looks to get beyond the quarter-finals in the opening Grand Slam of the tennis year for the first time in his career.

He will need to get past his great rival Jannik Sinner to clinch the title in Melbourne, with the Italian in unbeatable form in this tournament over the last couple of years as he has swept to glory in convincing fashion.

A run to the final would allow Alcaraz to build his ranking points and that could be crucial in his battle to hold on to the No 1 ranking.

With Sinner hot on his heels, the Spaniard will be defending a win at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam and then a run to the semi-finals of Indian Wells in March.

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His Monte Carlo Masters win in April will see another 1,000 ranking points dropping off his record in April and another 1,000 points are part of his current total for his win at the Rome Masters last May.

That run of impressive results in 2025 means Alcaraz will need to produce a series of brilliant performances to maintain his current level of ranking points, with big doubts hovering over the French Open and US Open champion after he parted company with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero earlier this month.

The big factor that could take the battle for the world No 1 spot out of Alcaraz’s hands is Sinner will have a big chance to gain ground quickly on Alcaraz in the New Year after he missed three months of the season that has just finished due to his doping ban.

Sinner will be chasing fresh ranking points at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters in March and he will also have a chance to chase more points at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

As he missed all of those events in 2025 due to his suspension, Sinner could claim 3,000 ranking points in those three tournaments and he could also compete in ATP 500 events to bolster his ranking.

If Sinner shows anything like the form he served up this season, he can expect to claim plenty of ranking points from those events and that would allow him to comfortably overtake Alcaraz in the rankings in the opening months of the New Year.

Any dip in form from Alcaraz following Ferrero’s exit from his camp will add to the uncertainty around the six-time Grand Slam champion as he prepares to kick start the next phase of his career without the mentor who has been with him on every step of the way so far.

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