The world’s top tennis players will soon be stepping up their preparations for what promises to be another thrilling season on the professional circuit.
The Australian Open is the undisputed highlight of the early part of the annual schedule, setting the tone for the rest of the year.
Read on as we offer our predictions for each of the Grand Slams and which players will end 2026 at the top of the world rankings.
Australian Open
Sports bettors will view the Australian Open as an early opportunity to boost their bankroll, with the favourites in the men’s and women’s tournaments expected to prevail.
Fans who love to bet on tennis matches will wager heavily on Jannik Sinner to claim the men’s title. He has lifted the prestigious trophy in each of the last two years.
Carlos Alcaraz is the only other male player who has won a Grand Slam in the last two seasons and will be the biggest threat to Sinner in Melbourne.
Madison Keys beat Aryana Sabalenka in last year’s women’s final. Sabalenka was chasing a hat-trick of titles on that occasion and can set the record straight this time around.
French Open
The French Court is the pinnacle of the clay court section of the season and is regarded as the toughest of the four Grand Slam events to win.
Alcaraz successfully defended the men’s title last year by beating Sinner in the final, and he is strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick of successes in the tournament.
Coco Gauff claimed the women’s French Open title for the first time in 2025, coming from a set down to defeat Sabalenka in a thrilling final.
Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros reign ended in the semi-final. She had won the previous three tournaments and could be a good bet to regain the title.
Wimbledon
Grass court tennis takes centre stage during the middle part of the year and is headlined by the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All-England Club in London.
Sinner denied Alcaraz his third consecutive success in the men’s singles title last year, securing a 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 victory over his main rival.
While the pair will be tough to beat again next summer, United States star Taylor Fritz could upset the odds after reaching the semi-final this year.
Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon singles title in 2025 with a straight-sets victory over Amanda Anisimova and should mount a strong bid to retain the crown.
US Open
Sinner (2024) and Alcaraz (2025) inevitably added their names to the US Open roll of honour in the last two years and are guaranteed to be in contention in 2026.
While Alcaraz has won the title twice, there is a suspicion that Sinner is the slightly better player of the pair on a hard-court surface.
Great Britain star Jack Draper has the ability to win the US Open, but will need to prove that he has recovered from the persistent injuries which have plagued his career.
Sabalenka has reached the women’s final in each of the last three years, winning twice, and is a good bet to enhance her impressive record in New York.
World number one
Alcarez and Sabalenka ended 2025 on top of the world rankings in the men’s and women’s categories and could be tough to topple next year.
Sinner is the player most likely to knock Alcaraz off his perch, while Swiatek will be keen to overhaul Sabalenka in the women’s standings.
