Top 7 tennis rivalries going into 2026

In every sport, comparisons will always be drawn between the absolute greats. Top athletes will always look to out-think, out-manoeuvre, and out-perform each other in pursuit of glory.

There have been several era-defining rivalries in sports. Be it Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier in boxing, Sachin Tendulkar versus Brian Lara in cricket, or Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi in football, the field of sport has always and will continue to witness legendary rivalries.

Similarly, tennis has been defined by iconic rivalries over the years, Borg–McEnroe, Federer–Nadal, Navratilova–Evert, Nadal–Djokovic, and Graf–Seles, to name a few. These have been defined by playing styles, intensity, and unforgettable moments that have captivated fans all over the world. Not only have these rivalries provided great entertainment, they’ve also shaped the sport, with the later generations wanting to follow in the footsteps of their favourite stars.

Here, we present our pick of the seven tennis rivalries that will be on show in 2026.

7. João Fonseca and Learner Tien

This is a rivalry between two of the game’s most exciting young talents. Brazilian tennis sensation João Fonseca is touted as the next big thing on the ATP Tour, while American Lerner Tien is also one for the future. Both announced themselves at the Australian Open this year, where they upset top-ranked players. While Fonseca wiped out Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round, Tien took out former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in a marathon five-setter.

The two first met at the Next Gen ATP Finals last year, where Fonseca got the better of Tien twice — first in the round-robin stage, and then in the final. Being roughly the same age, there’s particular focus on the two and the potential of a fierce rivalry.

Though both are young and have massive scope for improvement, even at this level Fonseca has slightly overtaken Tien and currently leads the head-to-head record at 3–0, having also performed more consistently this year. Fonseca is currently ranked 24th in the ATP world rankings with two ATP titles under his belt, while Tien isn’t far behind and is ranked 28th in the world with one ATP title won this year.

The two youngsters will go into the 2026 season without having to go through the qualification rounds at the Grand Slams, and given how close they are ranked, chances are they’ll see a lot of each other next year. Though Fonseca has dominated this rivalry so far, it’s still very early to call whether this will remain a one-sided affair.

6. Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic

Here is an experienced campaigner against a young superstar.

Coco Gauff had a fairly successful 2025, winning a Grand Slam title (Roland-Garros) on her most preferred surface while also performing well in other Grand Slams, barring Wimbledon. She also won the 2025 Wuhan Open.

Belinda Bencic, meanwhile, has arguably had the most inspiring comeback story of the year. After giving birth in April last year, Bencic decided to re-join the WTA Tour earlier this year in January. Since then, the Swiss player has gone on to win two WTA titles, reach the Wimbledon semi-finals despite being ranked 487th in the world, and almost break into the WTA top ten. Her achievements this year might just have overshadowed even the very best in the women’s game.

As far as the rivalry between these two is concerned, Gauff and Bencic have shared the stage four times in 2025 alone, with Gauff getting the better of Bencic on three occasions. Bencic only defeated Gauff in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells, while Gauff beat her at the Australian Open, the Madrid Open, and the China Open.

While Gauff currently leads the head-to-head record at 4–2, Bencic has proven to be a fierce competitor, one the young World No. 3 can’t take for granted. The two even had an altercation in Beijing, where Bencic accused Gauff’s team of playing mind games and ended up losing the match from a winning position.

This year, Bencic will certainly have revenge on her mind. With Bencic getting closer to Gauff in the rankings as well, it is even more likely that the two face off in top WTA tournaments, and it will be intriguing to see how Bencic responds after that defeat in China.

5. Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner

Even in the twilight of his incredibly successful career, Novak Djokovic is getting the better of most players on the ATP Tour, barring the current top two, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner has often been likened to Djokovic, given their playing styles. A rivalry has emerged over the years between the two, producing some exceptional tennis in the process. Their most memorable encounter arrived arguably in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Wimbledon, where Djokovic came back from a two-set deficit to defeat the young Italian in five sets.

In their first five matches, Djokovic got the better of Sinner in four matches, leading the head-to-head record at 4–1, but the tide turned at the end of the 2023 season. Since defeating Djokovic in the Davis Cup semi-finals in 2023, Sinner hasn’t looked back. In 2025, the two faced each other in two Grand Slam semi-finals, both of which Sinner won comfortably. As a result, the 24-year-old is now ahead of the legendary Serb in the head-to-head record, which reads 6–4 in his favour.

Going into 2026, we don’t know how many playing years Djokovic has left, given we can all see that he’s unable to compete physically with the young players on the tour throughout the season. However, we are also aware of his unrelenting mentality and incredible desire to compete with the very best. And so, we look forward to seeing more of his battles with Sinner, hoping he can find answers to beat the highly consistent Italian and, maybe, find his way to an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.

4. Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek

Elena Rybakina closed out the 2025 season with a WTA Finals title, but throughout the remainder of the season, her rivalry with the former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek created a lot of buzz, with the Pole dominating their encounters and causing her a lot of suffering.

Swiatek is standing on the verge of achieving a career Grand Slam, with only the Australian Open missing from her illustrious haul of WTA titles. Having conquered the grass surface at Wimbledon in 2025, the 24-year-old has six Grand Slam titles to her name. In contrast, Rybakina has failed to fulfil her potential, having won only a Wimbledon title so far, but she proved to the world yet again why she’s such a special player during the recent WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she went unbeaten on her way to the singles title.

The two faced off in many tournaments this year alone, with Swiatek dominating the rivalry with four wins in five. Her only loss to Rybakina arrived in the round-robin stage of the year-ending WTA Finals, which of course the Kazakh then went on to win. Their overall head-to-head record is fairly close, though — 6–5 in favour of Swiatek. Rybakina dominated the early exchanges, but Swiatek has come back to dominate in roaring fashion.

Going into 2026, it will be worth seeing how this rivalry develops and finding out whether Rybakina can find the answers to defeat Swiatek, or if the former World No. 1 goes for her crown by beating Rybakina and the other top players consistently.

3. Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev

Both Zverev (World No. 3) and Fritz (World No. 6) are close in the ATP rankings currently and have been consistently going deep in the Grand Slams and the ATP Masters tournaments; it’s virtually inevitable that the German superstar will face the much-improved American in 2026.

The two have faced off 14 times since 2016. Fritz currently leads the head-to-head record between them 9–5 in his favour. Their most recent match-ups took place in the Stuttgart Open final and the Laver Cup round-robin match, both of which went in Fritz’s favour. In fact, their last six encounters have all been dominated by the American, with Zverev not being able to find a response against the lanky 28-year-old, though their matches have been highly competitive.

Going into 2026 having rediscovered his form, Zverev will want to get even with Fritz and try to cut down that head-to-head deficit. As the new season approaches, this rivalry will certainly attract a lot of attention in the big tournaments on the tour.

2. Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova

This has been arguably the hottest rivalry in women’s tennis this year, and we hope to see more Sabalenka–Anisimova match-ups, especially given how high-quality and fist-pumping their encounters have been.

Sabalenka and Anisimova are undeniably two of the hardest-hitting players on the WTA circuit. Anisimova is the only player on the tour who has got the better of the World No. 1 several times. Their head-to-head record is mighty close, with Anisimova currently leading 6–5.

In 2025 alone, the two pitted against each other in three Grand Slams and the year-ending WTA Finals, with Sabalenka getting the better of Anisimova on three occasions, barring the Wimbledon semi-final that Anisimova won in three sets.

While the American star has risen prominently in the WTA rankings due to her exploits this season, having reached two Grand Slam finals, won two WTA titles, and reached the semi-final of the WTA Finals, Sabalenka has managed to retain the World No. 1 ranking for a second year in a row, having reached three Grand Slam finals this season, though she could only add the US Open crown to her Grand Slam tally.

With both players ending the 2025 season on a high, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the upcoming season. One thing is for sure, though: their matches will be filled with hard-hitting, high-octane action, with neither willing to give an inch to the other.

1. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

The “Sincaraz” rivalry is undoubtedly here to stay. This year, the top two–ranked players fought each other for the title in three Grand Slam finals, two ATP 1000 Masters, as well as the season-ending ATP Finals. Their battle for supremacy in the men’s game in 2025 was proof enough that these two are going to continue facing off for many a season. Going into 2026, this battle is only going to intensify.

This year’s French Open final was probably the most memorable contest of the year, with Alcaraz coming back from three match points and two sets down to stage an iconic comeback to win consecutive French Open titles. Everyone thought this would deflate Sinner completely, but there’s something about greatness that motivates you to learn from failure, reflect on your shortcomings, and become a better version of yourself. Sinner showed exactly that by defeating the same opponent at Wimbledon and then at the ATP Finals in Turin. 

Though Alcaraz has the upper hand in this rivalry with a 10–6 head-to-head record currently, it remains to be seen whether Sinner manages to reinvent his game to get one over the Spaniard in 2026. Regardless of what happens, tennis fans will get to witness magical contests between two contrasting styles, with passion taking on composure, attack taking on defence, and finesse taking on power as the two best players in the world gear up to win the biggest prizes yet again in 2026.