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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Read Next: Ranking 5 leading WTA players who could win their first Grand Slam title in 2026
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