7. Jessica Pegula
2025 Finish: No. 6
Pegula picked up her form at the end of the season, but it was an overall poor Grand Slam year. Early losses at the Australian Open and Wimbledon plagued her ranking a bit, so she’ll look to regain points there. I see Pegula winning a WTA 1000 tournament, but the 31-year-old will have to make a major push for a Grand Slam title as soon as she can.
6. Linda Noskova
2025 Finish: No. 13
The next year-end Top 10 debutant I have is Noskova, who relies on power and footspeed. At 21 years old, the important goal for Noskova is winning a WTA title in 2026, which she wasn’t able to do in 2025. Noskova was able to go deep in tournaments such as Dubai and Beijing, as she’ll have to be more consistent in Grand Slams, where she put together a lackluster 5-4 record this year.
5. Coco Gauff
2025 Finish: No. 3
Gauff will constantly look to break down opponents, but eyes will be on the American’s forehand and serve to see if it can step up to consistently stay with the best. She’s certainly able to take out the top players on a good day, yet she can be overpowered on a bad day. I don’t see Gauff winning a Grand Slam title in 2026, which will drop her ranking a bit, but multiple titles during the season will keep her in the Top 5.
4. Elena Rybakina
2025 Finish: No. 5
Rybakina is my pick to move up the rankings in 2026, though I see her ending at No. 4. She has little points to defend early in the season, and a deep Australian Open run is something I can see happening. Her ranking may drop in the fall with a plethora of WTA Finals points to defend in November. Her movement and footwork is the key to taking out top players; the powerful serve will always be there.
