With 2026 on the horizon and a new tennis season ready to burst into life, players across the tours have likely already set down their realistic aims or loftier dreams for the year ahead. None feel that pull more strongly than the sport’s biggest stars, for whom a new year represents yet another opportunity to define greatness on their own terms.
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ith that in mind, we share what we believe should, be the New Year’s resolutions for the biggest names in tennis.
New Year’s Resolutions for Tennis’ Biggest Stars
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz’s off-season has generated more headlines and turbulence than arguably any player of his stature, following his mid-break split from long-time head coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Still, none of that should alter how he enters 2026: ranked as the best player in the men’s game and the sport’s most magnetic star.
Winning at least one Major, adding to his Masters 1000 collection, and remaining firmly in the hunt for a consecutive year-end No.1 ranking are not just goals–they are expectations for a player of Alcaraz’s caliber. But if one objective stands above the rest, it is undoubtedly triumphing at the Australian Open. Doing so would make him the youngest men’s Career Grand Slam champion in history.
Coco Gauff
Once again, Coco Gauff begins the year ranked inside the top five in a fiercely competitive WTA field. Having already won Majors on two different surfaces, completing a career surface Slam would be a remarkable ambition–but it still feels at least a year away.
For Gauff, 2026 should be centred on week-to-week consistency and sustained excellence, the kind that puts her firmly in contention for the year-end No.1 ranking. If she manages that, the Major titles and Masters trophies are likely to follow naturally.
Novak Djokovic
At this stage of his career, as has been the case for more than half a decade, everything about Novak Djokovic revolves around the four Slam tournaments.
While it increasingly feels unlikely that the all-time great will capture a record-extending 25th Major title, that pursuit remains the singular focus. All roads lead there, and nothing else comes remotely close in importance.
Aryna Sabalenka
First and foremost, one can only hope Aryna Sabalenka sharpens her ability to limit unforced errors off the court, as most recently showcased in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition few asked for.
On court, however, the Belarusian has proven herself to be the standard-bearer of the WTA Tour over the past two seasons. While maintaining that level would be impressive, her 2026 ambitions once again centre on Grand Slam success after several agonising near-misses. A natural-surface Slam in Paris or London, after coming heartbreakingly close in 2025, feels like the dream Sabalenka will be chasing as the new season begins.
Jannik Sinner
A legitimate case can be made that Jannik Sinner has entered each new season as the most in-form player in the world since 2023–and that is something he will be determined to keep going.
While defending titles in Melbourne or London, and reclaiming supremacy in New York, would represent career-defining achievements, the ultimate goal looms larger still. Completing a Career Grand Slam at the French Open, after standing just one point away from the title in 2025, stands as Sinner’s defining resolution for 2026.
Iga Swiatek
Statistically, 2025 marked Iga Swiatek’s weakest season since she established herself as a dominant force in women’s tennis. In 2026, she will be eager to flip that narrative.
A return to clay-court dominance remains the most realistic and logical priority, but the chance to complete a historic Career Grand Slam in Melbourne, much like Alcaraz, narrowly edges it as Swiatek’s ultimate resolution for the year ahead.
Rest of the ATP Tour
After being effectively pushed multiple tiers below the emerging SinCaraz rivalry in 2025, the rest of the ATP Tour enters 2026 with something to prove. Stopping Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner from splitting the four Major titles for a third consecutive year may be the ultimate ambition. Even managing to prevent them from repeatedly meeting in Grand Slam finals would represent progress.
It feels unlikely, but a new year offers a clean slatr–and a chance for the chasing pack to remind fans and analysts alike that men’s tennis remains a competitive ecosystem.
Naomi Osaka
Having shown her fans, her team, and most importantly herself that she can once again challenge for the biggest titles on hard courts, Naomi Osaka enters 2026 with renewed belief.
This is the year she can make a legitimate push for a fifth Slam title. That is the goal, the dream, and the resolution for a player who came quite close to winning the US Open in 2025.
Main Photo Credit: Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
