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Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has not ruled out coaching Jannik Sinner in the future but said he wants “two or three months” off first.

The coaching split was not something many saw coming given the year Alcaraz had which saw him win two Grand Slams and return to the World No.1 spot but reports of disputes over training locations and money have trickled out since the break up.

Now, Ferrero has given an interview to Spanish newspaper Marca and as well as Alcaraz, the name of Jannik Sinner was mentioned as one who made more sense from a coaching matchup.

Asked whether he would be open to working with the Italian in the future, Ferrero insisted he was not looking for any immediate work but did not close the door to doing so in the future.

“I’ve adapted my style as much as I could for Carlos,” he said. “I’m not considering other options at all because I need two or three months of peace and quiet and for the pain to subside.”

“After that, if other possibilities arise, we’ll weigh them up. In the end, it’s been almost eight years nonstop and a lot of time away from home. Being home now is a blessing.”

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Even from his first message on social media announcing his departure, Ferrero made it clear he would have preferred to stay but when asked why the split came, the coach said there were “certain things we disagreed on.”

“Everything seemed to be going well,” he recalled. “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.”

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Juan Carlos Ferrero has revealed he is still “hurting” in his first interview since his shock split from reigning world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Six-time Grand Slam singles champion Alcaraz announced one week ago today that he and Ferrero were parting ways with immediate effect, after a seven-year partnership of huge success.

Under the guidance of Ferrero as his coach, Alcaraz won all six of his Grand Slam singles titles and attained two year-end world No 1 finishes, becoming the youngest man to ever top the ATP Rankings back in 2022.

The surprise split came after a career-best season for the 22-year-old, who won eight titles — including the French Open and US Open — during a hugely impressive 2025 campaign.

In the aftermath of the news being made public, various rumours have emerged as to what caused the split.

And, Ferrero — a former world No 1 and Grand Slam champion in his own right — has now confirmed that a contractual disagreement ultimately led to the breakdown of the partnership.

Speaking in a new interview with Marca, the 45-year-old revealed that the respective parties were unable to resolve key issues that they “disagreed” on.

He said (translated from Spanish): “Well, let’s see, everything seemed to be going well.

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“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.”

Some reports have suggested that a financial disagreement existed between the two parties, and that this ultimately played a key role in the end of the seven-year partnership.

However, Ferrero made it clear that this was not the case — and insisted that it was never the “reason” for him to work with Alcaraz in the first place.

“The financial aspect has been brought up. And I’ve shown from a very young age that it wasn’t the most important thing for me,” added Ferrero.

“There’s been talk that I asked for more, and it’s true that they’ve always been very generous with a very high percentage for those early years when I was so involved with it. And I appreciate that.

“In the end, I’ve tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn’t one of the problems, nor was it the reason I was in this project.”

Ferrero first started working with Alcaraz when the latter was still a teenager.

Under Ferrero’s guidance, the 22-year-old went from teenage tennis prodigy to arguably the leading tennis player of his era and a modern-day great of the sport, with plenty of years ahead to achieve further success.

Alcaraz and his former coach were known to have an incredibly close relationship, though Ferrero conceded the two would need to spend some time apart before resuming their friendship.

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

“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.”

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Serena Williams has paid a heartfelt tribute to her sister and “built-in best friend” Venus Williams after the latter’s wedding in Florida this past weekend.

Former world No 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus officially married Italian actor Andrea Preti in Palm Beach earlier this month, following an Italian celebration back in September.

Venus and Preti, who reportedly first started dating after meeting in Italy last year, have shared an array of stunning posts celebrating their nuptials, with a five-day celebration reportedly held to mark the start of their marriage.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion wore a Morilee bridal dress on her big day, while Preti’s wedding suit was designed by Dolce & Gabbana.

Family was at the heart of the wedding, with Venus joined by her mum, Oracene Price, and sisters Serena, Lyndrea Price, and Isha Price.

Twenty-three-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena shared her own Instagram post celebrating her sister’s wedding, and paid a warm tribute to her older sister to celebrate her big day.

She wrote: “My sister’s keeper. Venus, where do I even begin? From the backyard courts to the biggest stages in the world, you’ve always led with grace, strength, and a heart bigger than any trophy. Watching you step into this next chapter surrounded by love felt like watching the sun rise…steady, powerful, and full of promise.

“You’ve been my built-in best friend, my protector, my teacher, and my reminder to always walk in purpose. Seeing you this happy, this loved, this radiant… it means everything to me.

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“To love, to partnership, to laughter, and to a lifetime of choosing each other every single day. I couldn’t be prouder to stand beside you, not just today, but always.”

Further posts from the wedding show Venus, Preti, and their friends and family during multiple different celebrations.

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Venus made a memorable return to court in 2025, with the 45-year-old ending her 16-month absence from tour with a stunning win over Peyton Stearns in the opening round of the Washington Open in July.

She then competed at the Cincinnati Open and US Open later in the summer, pushing Karolina Muchova to three sets at Flushing Meadows, before reaching the women’s doubles quarter-final alongside Leylah Fernandez.

The tennis legend is set to continue her career into 2026, with the American currently scheduled to play the Auckland Open at the start of January.

All eyes will then be on if and when she receives a wildcard into the Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year.

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Rumours are swirling around where Emma Raducanu’s fitness levels are heading into the 2026 season, but comments emerging in the UK media doing little to clear up whether she will be fit to make a flying start to 2026.

The 2021 US Open champion was forced to end this year’s campaign early due to a foot problem and issues when she was playing on the Asian swing of the WTA Tour.

There was an expectation that the 23-year-old would spend the final weeks of this year getting ready for the new season, with an appearance alongside Jack Draper in what could be a powerful Great Britain team at the United Cup event in early January.

However, the tennis grapevine has been buzzing with rumours that both Draper and Raducanu are battling to be fit for the start of the new season.

Draper was forced to pull out of the UTS Grand Final and an exhibition event next week as he continues to recover from the arm problem that has kept him off court since the US Open back in August.

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There have been no fitness updates from Draper since confirming his UTS absence and he will need to make a decision imminently on whether he will travel to Australia.

Draper and Raducanu have been working on their fitness at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in London in recent weeks, but there have been suggestions that she is not fully fit ahead of her trip to Australia.

There has been no footage of Raducanu hitting balls on her Instagram account in recent weeks, with comments emerging on a BBC radio show coming from an interview she staged with the British media at the start of this month.

“I feel quite content with how things are going on and off the court. I’m in a pretty good place,” said Raducanu, as she spoke to the media at the National Tennis Centre in London.

“I just think, despite any challenges I have been facing with the foot or the health at the end of the season, I feel in a good place, and I’m building back in the gym, to start with.

“And I’m feeling pretty relaxed ahead of next year, which is a good place to be. And I’m just proud of the season that I put in this year and the progress I have made.

“I would say that next year, I hope to play less than I did this year. But I think also just incorporating into my warm-ups, fitness, so it’s not necessarily just my fitness sessions are like separate.

“You just have to try and drip feed as much as you can in for the overall health of your body, little and often, I think is the biggest thing that’s helped.

“And most of all, I think I found a lot more peace with myself and I’m a lot happier with how I’m approaching my tennis and how I’m approaching the team that I have and just what I’m doing and the environment that I have.

“I think that’s the most special thing because it takes so much work and so many days to get to where we want to be. And just enjoying each day and being able to look at it in a pretty healthy perspective is so important.”

If those comments were made this week, they would have ended the doubts over Raducanu’s hopes of playing at the United Cup, but a decision on whether she will board the long flight to Australia needs to be made soon.

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2025 was a truly memorable year for tennis, though there was some poignancy when several high-profile stars took to the court for the final time.

Here, we look at seven of the biggest names across both the ATP and WTA Tours who called time on their careers this season, with an array of former top-10 stars hanging up their racket.

This is not an exclusive list, and we are not including stars such as Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils, who have announced their retirements for the upcoming 2026 season.

Simona Halep

The latter stages of Halep’s career were overshadowed by her controversial doping suspension and a string of injury issues, though the Romanian got to retire on her own terms in February.

Halep announced her retirement in front of her home crowd after a loss to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open, bringing an end to one of the most successful WTA careers of the past two decades.

The Romanian memorably lost her first three Grand Slam finals before finally tasting glory at the 2018 French Open, before a stunning Wimbledon triumph over Serena Williams in 2019.

Alongside her two Grand Slam triumphs, Halep spent 64 weeks atop the WTA Rankings — including year-end No 1 finishes in 2017 and 2018 — and won 24 WTA titles.

Richard Gasquet

One of the most popular ATP players of his generation, former world No 7 Gasquet said his official goodbye to tennis at the French Open in May.

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Competing at his home Grand Slam for the final time, Gasquet picked up a memorable opening win against Terence Atmane, before bowing out to top seed Jannik Sinner in the second round.

Possessing one of the finest one-handed backhands the game has ever seen, the 39-year-old won 16 ATP Tour titles during his career, and was a two-time Wimbledon and one-time US Open semi-finalist.

Gasquet briefly came out of retirement to represent France at the Hopman Cup in July, though he has now officially hung up his racket.

Petra Kvitova

A star beloved by fellow players and fans alike, Kvitova officially retired from tennis at the US Open in August after a brief return from maternity leave towards the start of the season.

One of the most formidable players of her generation, Kvitova lifted the Wimbledon title in 2011 and 2014, and was also a runner-up at the Australian Open in 2018.

The Czech reached a career-high of second in the WTA Rankings and is considered one of the greatest female players never to be ranked as the world No 1.

Kvitova won a staggering 31 WTA Tour titles during her hugely successful career, alongside an astonishing six BJK Cup titles, and an Olympic bronze medal.

Diego Schwartzman

Standing at only 170 cm (5’7) tall, few ATP Tour players punched above their weight quite as much as Schwartzman, one of the greatest competitors of his generation.

The Argentine reached a career-high of eighth in the ATP Rankings in October 2020 and won four ATP Tour titles, while memorably beating Rafael Nadal on his way to the Italian Open final in 2020.

Schwartzman was a French Open semi-finalist in 2020 and reached two further quarter-finals at Roland Garros, alongside progressing to the last eight at the US Open twice.

After a drop in the ATP Rankings in recent years, the 33-year-old retired from tennis after a defeat to Pedro Martinez on home soil in Buenos Aires this February.

Caroline Garcia

One of the most talented WTA players of her generation, Garcia joined Kvitova in retiring from tennis after an opening-round US Open exit this summer.

Garcia reached a career-high of fourth in the WTA Rankings back in September 2018 and remains the only woman to win the Beijing Open and Wuhan Open back-to-back, doing so in 2017.

The Frenchwoman also became the first qualifier to win a WTA 1000 event at the 2022 Cincinnati Open and, after reaching the US Open semi-final that summer, lifted the WTA Finals title in Fort Worth.

Garcia won 10 WTA Tour singles titles and was also a 2017 quarter-finalist at her home Grand Slam at Roland Garros, also winning the tournament twice in doubles alongside Kristina Mladenovic.

Fabio Fognini

After pushing Carlos Alcaraz all the way in a five-set thriller at Wimbledon this summer, Fognini brought forward his retirement after previously revealing he would retire towards the end of 2025.

The Italian was one of the most mercurial and unpredictable tennis stars of his generation, though he reached an impressive career-high ranking of world No 9 in July 2019.

The crowning glory of Fognini’s career may have been his triumph at the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters — beating Nadal in the semi-final — though won nine ATP singles titles in total, and was a French Open quarter-finalist in 2011.

He has already kick-started his life post-retirement, recently finishing third on Italy’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’.

Eugenie Bouchard

Former world No 5 Bouchard called time on her career with a second-round defeat to Belinda Bencic on home soil in Montreal, ending a career that set the pathway for Canada’s golden generation.

Bouchard memorably reached consecutive Australian Open and French Open semi-finals in 2014 before ultimately reaching her sole Grand Slam final at Wimbledon that year, falling to Kvitova inside Centre Court.

The Canadian never recaptured those heights and never seemed to recover from a concussion sustained at the US Open in 2015, successfully suing the USTA in 2018.

Bouchard had already embarked on a broadcasting career while still an active player, and has also been pursuing a professional pickleball career in recent years.

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Danielle Collins has opened up about undergoing egg freezing procedures, as the star explained why she would not be in action at the Australian Open next month.

World No 64 Collins is comfortably ranked high enough to compete in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year, with action underway on January 18 inside Melbourne Park.

The 32-year-old has a strong pedigree at the Australian Open, reaching the final back in 2022 and the semi-final in 2018, though was notably missing from the entry list announcement made earlier this month.

Collins called time on what proved to be a challenging 2025 campaign following an opening-round exit at the US Open, with many assuming that her upcoming absence would be injury related.

And, while she is dealing with an ongoing back issue, the former world No 7 has also revealed that she is undergoing fertility treatment.

Collins has spoken openly in the past about her endometriosis and the challenges she may have in starting a family, while the WTA Tour announced in 2025 that it would offer a protected ranking for players who underwent egg freezing or other fertility treatments.

While it is unknown whether Collins has asked for such a protected ranking or will require one, the American has now confirmed on Instagram that she will be missing the start of 2026 — partially due to her treatment.

And, while she will not be on court at the Australian Open, she has teased an impending broadcasting role with Tennis Channel, one of America’s leading sports broadcasters.

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She wrote: “Wanted to come on here and give everyone a little update since everyone has been asking!

“I’ve been taking the last few months off to recover from the back injury I had at the end of the season. I’ve also been undergoing a few egg freezing procedures.

“It’s been one of the coolest things I’ve honestly ever done! But at the same time these hormones I have had to be on are a real b****

“I am so fortunate for the friends that have been helping take care of me during this time. I have one more procedure to go.

“With all of this, I will not be competing during the first part of the year. But you will be seeing me in a different capacity with @tennischannel. This is all I will be sharing for now. More updates to come.”

Collins initially planned to retire from tennis in 2024 due to her plans to start a family, though she reversed her decision in the closing months of the year, due to complications with her endometriosis.

2024 had proven to be a landmark season for the American, winning the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open, and then triumphing at the Charleston Open the following week.

However, 2025 proved to be a greater challenge for Collins, who ended the year with a 15-14 record amid struggles with her recurring back issue.

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Emma Raducanu has revealed she is in a “pretty good place” as she reflected on her 2025 campaign and looked ahead to next year.

The 23-year-old is currently the world No 29, which is her highest ranking position since the points from her 2021 US Open title win dropped in September 2022.

Raducanu was ranked 60th as recently as March 16 this year, but she kickstarted her season with her run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open that month and finished the year with a 28-22 record.

The Brit’s other standout results were reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington in July and the last 16 at the Italian Open in May.

In an interview on the BBC Today Programme, Raducanu declared that she was feeling “relaxed” ahead of the 2026 season.

“I feel quite content with how things are going on and off the court. I’m in a pretty good place,” said the former world No 10.

“I just think, despite any challenges I have been facing with the foot or the health at the end of the season, I feel in a good place, and I’m building back in the gym, to start with.

“And I’m feeling pretty relaxed ahead of next year, which is a good place to be. And I’m just proud of the season that I put in this year and the progress I have made.”

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Asked what helped her be healthy and play week in week out in 2025, Raducanu said: “I think actually doing it and putting yourself in a position to do it rather than necessarily having in your head, I’m gonna go home — that helped.

“I would say that next year, I hope to play less than I did this year. But I think also just incorporating into my warm-ups, fitness, so it’s not necessarily just my fitness sessions are like separate.

“You just have to try and drip feed as much as you can in for the overall health of your body, little and often, I think is the biggest thing that’s helped.

“And most of all, I think I found a lot more peace with myself and I’m a lot happier with how I’m approaching my tennis and how I’m approaching the team that I have and just what I’m doing and the environment that I have.

“I think that’s the most special thing because it takes so much work and so many days to get to where we want to be. And just enjoying each day and being able to look at it in a pretty healthy perspective is so important.”

Raducanu also expressed her gratitude at being able to spend Christmas at home with her family in England this year.

“It’s the first Christmas that I will be in the UK since Covid, so that is extremely exciting for me, because the calendar starts a week later, which I’m very grateful for,” Raducanu said.

“That means I will be able to be with my family for Christmas for the first time in a while, so that’s really special. But of course the tour is incredibly demanding, and then once we are off, we’re off for a long time. So just make the most out of the time in the UK while I can.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu adds tournament to her schedule as she chases early 2026 rankings breakthrough

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Former world No 4 Guy Forget has described one of the possible reasons for Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero as “ridiculous.”

It was revealed last Wednesday that Alcaraz and Ferrero had parted ways, bringing an end to a player-coach partnership that was formed in 2018.

Neither Alcaraz nor Ferrero have directly shared the reasons for the end of their partnership, but reports have shed some light on the situation

Reports in the Spanish media have claimed that the main reason for the split was that Ferrero was offered a reduced financial sum and some additional changes to the relationship that he was not happy with.

A source close to Ferrero, speaking to CLAY and RG Media, said: “What happened is very simple. The contract was annual.

“The 2025 contract ended at the end of November, and they waited until Saturday the 13th of this month to present a new one and until Monday the 15th at the first hour to sign it. Juan Carlos did not accept it, and they did not want to make any changes.”

According to CLAY, when that contract arrived, Ferrero had two days to read and sign it. He made a counter-offer that was not accepted.

Another source told CLAY and RG Media: “There were significant disagreements between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father about how to manage the player’s career.”

In an interview with Tennis Actu, Forget weighed in on the news and addressed the reported reasons for the split.

“Well… I’m a little surprised. I think, like many tennis enthusiasts, because the collaboration was more than fruitful. We know how much Carlos Alcaraz owes to Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has coached him for many years,” said the Frenchman.

“And we don’t really know the root of the problem—I wouldn’t say ‘the problem’, but what really happened between them — especially since it’s just a few weeks before the next season. So we can imagine they’re already preparing.

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“So, it’s not, I imagine, the ideal scenario for Carlos Alcaraz. But when a collaboration goes so well with so many good results, we can always ask ourselves: will the future be even better? It will be difficult to do better.

“The first hypothesis, I find that a bit strange, because today the sums generated by players like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner are so exorbitant that. I mean, a coach like Juan Carlos Ferrero today, I can’t imagine he wasn’t paid what he was worth.

“So if that’s really the case, it’s frankly ridiculous, because a player who must be generating, I don’t know, 30 million euros a year, who pays his coach 800,000 or 1,500,000… in the end, it brings him so much more than he can possibly pay for anyway.

“The second reason, which is probably the most plausible in my opinion, is that at some point, the accumulated tensions with those around him — rightly or wrongly — often when things aren’t going very well, aren’t always directed at the player directly: it’s the fiancée, the wife, the father, the mother, the agent.

“Sometimes, we know that there are agents who are currently at the heart of a problem and who, in a way, are fuelling the conflicts.

“What’s a shame, I repeat, is that this collaboration is so effective, so fruitful. We know what we have, we don’t know what we’ll have next.

“When you have a young champion like that, at 22, having won everything with his mentor… and suddenly, the balance is disrupted.”

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2025 proved to be another year of Grand Slam dominance for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who once again swept all four major titles up for grabs.

Having now won eight straight Grand Slam singles titles between them from the start of 2024, the ‘New 2’ look well-established at the very top of the sport, and it is tough to predict if and when any players can disrupt their Grand Slam run.

However, looking at a range of factors including age, experience, consistency, and potential, we rank the five most likely contenders who could end their dominance and win a first Grand Slam men’s singles title in 2026.

5) Jack Draper

Current Ranking: No 10
Best Grand Slam Result: SF, 2024 US Open

Draper looked set to establish himself as a dominant force in the men’s game after a strong end of 2024 and start of 2025, only for his latest set of injury struggles to disrupt his season.

The Brit played just one match after his second-round exit at Wimbledon, though he still ended the year ranked 10th, largely thanks to his stunning Indian Wells triumph in March.

Draper’s big-hitting game fits perfectly into the current climate of men’s tennis, and he has had a solid level of success on all surfaces, particularly on his favoured hard courts.

Having reached a major semi-final and won a Masters 1000 title across the past two seasons, he could well be a Grand Slam threat if he can regain consistent fitness.

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4) Taylor Fritz

Current Ranking: No 6
Best Grand Slam Result: F, 2024 US Open

Fritz’s 2025 season was not quite as spectacular as his 2024 campaign, though the US No 1 still comfortably finished inside the top 10 — and looks set to contend in 2026.

Finishing the year ranked sixth in the world, the American’s opening months of the year were disrupted by injury, though a strong second half of the season saw him reach the Wimbledon semi-final and US Open quarter-final.

Fritz was also a US Open finalist back in 2024, and there has been a general upward trend in his Slam consistency in recent years, with the American also now well-established as an elite player.

Consistently threatening Alcaraz and Sinner remains his biggest challenge, but the 28-year-old’s big serving and growing confidence make a strong Slam run possible.

3) Alexander Zverev

Current Ranking: No 3
Best Grand Slam Result: F, 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open, & 2025 Australian Open

2025 was far from the best season of Zverev’s career, yet a year-end ranking of world No 3 keeps him well-placed as a top-level contender heading into 2026.

The German’s Slam form dipped as the season went on, but he was still a finalist at the Australian Open in January, and has now reached three major finals across his career.

The key question facing the 28-year-old is whether he has enough belief in the latter stages of Grand Slam tournaments, and if he can turn the tide against Alcaraz and Sinner.

However, few can match Zverev’s experience of competing at the biggest events, and — if he is back fit and firing — could well once again feature in the very closing stages of major events.

2) Felix Auger-Aliassime

Current Ranking: No 5
Best Grand Slam Result: SF, 2021 US Open & 2025 US Open

A stunning end to 2025 saw Auger-Aliassime break new ground and reach a career-high of fifth in the ATP Rankings; could he now turn that into consistency at the Grand Slams?

Two early titles in 2025 were later followed by a run to the US Open semi-final for the Canadian, who then lifted a third title of the season in Brussels before reaching the Paris Masters final and ATP Finals semi-final.

That run in New York was Auger-Aliassime’s best Grand Slam run in several years, and the 25-year-old brings a lot of momentum into the new season, though his overall career has been patchy at times.

However, he is still only 25, and his aggressive brand of tennis — and growing confidence — mean more deep Grand Slam runs would not come as a surprise.

1) Ben Shelton

Current Ranking: No 9
Best Grand Slam Result: SF, 2023 US Open & 2025 Australian Open

Shelton is not the highest-ranked player on this list and still seems to be coming back from the injury that forced him to retire in the third round of the US Open last summer.

However, the American cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2025 and embarked on career-best runs at the first three majors of the season, suggesting even bigger things could be yet to come.

Shelton was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January — his second Slam semi-final in just three full years on tour — and then reached the second week of Roland Garros, before a Wimbledon quarter-final showing.

The 23-year-old also won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto and, while Alcaraz and Sinner remain a big challenge for him, he still has plenty of untapped potential in his quest for major success.

Honourable mentions

Alex de Minaur: The Australian’s consistent improvement sees him well established inside the top 10, though a 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarter-finals is a concern.

Lorenzo Musetti: A French Open semi-finalist and US Open quarter-finalist in 2025, can Musetti — also a former Wimbledon semi-finalist — push on after a career-best year?

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