OFFICIAL 2026 PREDICTION: NADIA PETROVA CONFIRMS ELENA RYBAKINA AS THE NEXT GRAND SLAM CHAMPION

Former No. 3 Nadia Petrova backs Elena Rybakina to win a 2026 Grand Slam following her undefeated WTA Finals run and $5.2M payday.

OFFICIAL 2026 PREDICTION: Nadia Petrova confirms Elena Rybakina as the next Grand Slam champion
Rybakina officially returns to World No. 5

Nadia Petrova, who used to be ranked #3 in the world, thinks Elena Rybakina could totally win a Grand Slam singles title in 2026. She had a great finish to the 2025 season, so it's possible.

Rybakina is currently ranked #5 and already has a Grand Slam title from Wimbledon in 2022. She was also the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2023.

2025 was tough for the Kazakh player, especially at the Grand Slams. The 26-year-old didn't even make it to a quarter-final in any of the major tournaments, which hasn't happened since 2020.

But she bounced back and ended the season strong with an 11-match winning streak.

She won her second title of the year at the Ningbo Open in China and then made it to the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open. She had to withdraw from her semi-final match, but she'd already qualified for the WTA Finals.

Rybakina then killed it at the WTA Finals, going undefeated and beating world #1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(0) in the final.

The 26-year-old had some health issues in 2024, and there was some uncertainty about her coach, Stefano Vukov, in 2025. He was initially suspended from WTA events but was allowed back in August.

It's been three years since Rybakina reached her last Grand Slam final in Melbourne, but many people think she's going to become a major player in women's tennis next year.

Petrova, who made it to the semi-finals of the French Open before, said in an interview that she thinks Rybakina will have a great season.

She said, I'm so glad Rybakina was able to turn things around.

You can see how hard she works and how positive and calm she is. Next year could be huge for her.

She has a real shot at winning a Grand Slam, moving up in the rankings, and even giving Aryna Sabalenka a run for her money. Elena Rybakina is super talented with a great technique and feel for the ball.

I think she's got a lot more to achieve in women's tennis.

Hoping to keep her winning streak going, Rybakina will start her 2026 season at the Brisbane International, a WTA 500 event.

She won the title there in 2024, beating Sabalenka in the final, but skipped it in 2025 for the United Cup.

Rybakina is currently the third-highest-ranked player on the entry list for the tournament, behind Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova.

After that, she'll head to the Australian Open, which starts on January 18 in Melbourne.

Even though she was a finalist there in 2023, she hasn't done as well at the tournament since then.

She had a surprising loss to Anna Blinkova in the second round in 2024 and then lost to Madison Keys in three sets in the fourth round in 2025.

ANDY MURRAY CONFIRMS HE "PROBABLY WOULD" RETURN TO COACHING IN THE FUTURE

Andy Murray tells The Athletic he’s open to a coaching return but slams "easy" tennis punditry in a candid update.

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Andy Murray opens the door to future coaching role after Djokovic stint - Courtesy Picture

Andy Murray said he “probably would” consider a return to coaching in the future but admitted his “priorities are lying elsewhere just now.”

Since hanging up his racket in August 2024, Murray has largely kept himself away from tennis instead focusing on his business ventures and a passion for golf, but he did return to the court in November 2024 to serve as Novak Djokovic’s head coach for the following year.

That relationship ended in May 2025, but Murray has now said he would be open to returning to the role.

“I think at some stage I probably would (consider a return to coaching),” Murray told The Athletic.

“My priorities are lying elsewhere just now, but I would do it again in the future.

“I do like the idea of helping a much younger player, a little bit like not that I would expect it to turn out like this, the (Juan Carlos) Ferrero-(Carlos) Alcaraz relationship.

“A younger player that you’re really able to help and have a really positive influence on. I would find something like that quite interesting, but certainly not right now.”

Another popular post-playing career for any athlete is punditry, but Murray has had limited experience of that to date, suggesting it is not really something he has an interest in currently.

“My feeling is that punditry in general, particularly when you have a name within the sport, is quite easy,” he said.

“There are some people who are very good at it. Jim Courier and Andy Roddick were great at the game, but also love the game and are very well researched and speak really, really well and are very passionate about it. And do the job extremely well. They’re not just turning up because they’re getting paid and just throwing out random comments, having not really watched the players and not really thinking much about what they’re saying.

“So it can be done extremely well, but I don’t think that’s always the case. And I think tennis needs to sort of improve the way that they do punditry, but it’s not something that right now I’m massively into doing. I wouldn’t rule out doing it in the future, but I don’t really want to do it right now.”

CARLOS ALCARAZ BEGINS CLAY SEASON AT MONTE-CARLO FOLLOWING EARLY MIAMI EXIT

Carlos Alcaraz targets Roland Garros glory as Jannik Sinner threatens his world No. 1 ranking after the Sunshine Double.

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Alcaraz must find his rhythm quickly to defend 4,300 points on clay - Courtesy Picture

Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Samuel Lopez, recently shared some insight into the world No. 1’s plans for the upcoming clay season. Alcaraz is aiming to start strong at the Monte-Carlo Masters and hopes to hit his peak by the time Roland Garros arrives.

After a tough run during the Sunshine Double, where he left without any titles, Alcaraz is gearing up for the clay swing. At Indian Wells, Medvedev’s aggressive play proved too much, and then at Miami, Sebastian Korda knocked him out in the Round of 32. It was a rare setback for the top star, prompting him to head home for a break before Monte-Carlo, which kicks off on April 5.

Before the season really takes off, Lopez revealed that Alcaraz plans to compete in Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Roland-Garros after Monte-Carlo. Lopez also mentioned that if things had gone better in Miami, they might have skipped Monte-Carlo altogether. But given the current situation, Monte-Carlo will act more as a tune-up event.

“We’re going in with the idea of playing everything, the full clay swing. Monte Carlo wasn’t initially part of the plan if Miami had gone well. But now, it’s more about preparation, Lopez said in an interview with Eurosport ES.

Alcaraz will defend his Monte-Carlo title and try to set the tone for the rest of the clay season. Lopez emphasised that the ultimate goal is for him to be in the best possible shape for Roland Garros, with an eye on clinching a third French Open victory.

“Preparation tournaments help you find your rhythm fast. For us, Monte Carlo is similar to last year’s approach. Last year, everything fell into place, and he won. But the first clay event is tough for almost everyone, as it’s their first on this surface. So, the priority is managing the schedule and arriving in top form at Roland Garros. We’ll see how it goes,” Lopez added.

The qualifying rounds for Monte-Carlo start on April 4, and the main draw begins on April 6. Alcaraz’s first opponent hasn’t been decided yet. Besides defending his title, this tournament is crucial for him as his ranking points are on the line.

Meanwhile, his main rival, Jannik Sinner, made the most of the Sunshine Double, winning both Indian Wells and Miami, dominating Medvedev and Jiri Lehecka along the way. This achievement has made Sinner just 1,190 points shy of Alcaraz in the rankings. With both players set to compete in Monte-Carlo, their battle for the top spot could come down to the final match.

If they both reach the final, whoever wins will claim No. 1 in the world.

Despite their rivalry, Alcaraz took a moment to congratulate Sinner on his Sunshine Double success. He shared a message on Instagram, writing:

“Congratulations @janniksin and team for winning Sunshine Double.”

The two have faced off 16 times, with Alcaraz holding a 10-6 lead. When it comes to major titles, Alcaraz’s 15 to Sinner’s 13 reflect just how close their competition remains.

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