One underrated player to look out for on hard, clay and grass courts in 2026

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As we edge closer to the start of the 2026 season, who should fans keep an eye out for?

The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Jannik Sinner have had plenty of coverage this year, and rightly so.

Winning six of the eight available Grand Slams, the top two on both tours were dominant in 2025.

But that’s not to say they won’t be challenged in 2026, by both the usual suspects and a few underrated stars on the ATP and WTA Tour.

So, with the 2026 season right around the corner, who should you look out for on the three different surfaces?

One underrated player to look out for on every surface

Hard – Iva Jovic

Most tour-level events are played on hard courts, so it definitely helps those who play their best tennis on the surface.

Heading into 2026, watch out for WTA star Iva Jovic, who has enjoyed some of the best results of her career on hard.

At just 18 years of age, Jovic is far from a household name, but she made a significant step forward this year, jumping 156 places in the world rankings.

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The world number 33 won her first WTA title recently, at the Guadalajara Open.

Jovic didn’t have things all her own way, but won three deciding sets to clinch the title in Mexico.

Iva Jovic at the 2025 Guadalajara Open

• 2025 Guadalajara Open 1R – Iva Jovic defeated Katarzyna Kawa, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
• 2025 Guadalajara Open 2R – Iva Jovic defeated Camila Osorio, 6-4, 6-2
• 2025 Guadalajara Open QF – Iva Jovic defeated Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
• 2025 Guadalajara Open SF – Iva Jovic defeated Nikola Bartunkova, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
• 2025 Guadalajara Open F – Iva Jovic defeated Emiliana Arango, 6-4, 6-1

Only time will tell if she can push on in the new year, but don’t be surprised to see Jovic pick up some big wins on hard courts over the next 12 months…

Clay – Sebastian Baez

South American and Spanish players had a reputation for producing their best stuff on clay over the years.

However, as the tour began to focus more on hard courts, most players successfully adapted.

That can’t be said for Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, who still wins the majority of his ATP matches on the red stuff.

Baez won 17 tour-level matches this year, 13 of which came on his favored clay courts.

Sebastian Baez in 2025

The Argentine has won at least one clay-court title in each of the last four seasons, and could well be set to repeat the feat next year.

He’s especially effective during the Golden Swing events in South America, and will return to Brazil as the two-time defending Rio Open champion in 2026.

Grass – Barbora Krejcikova

Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova shocked the world by winning her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2024.

She was, however, unable to build upon the result, as she began to struggle with injuries.

Returning in time for the 2025 grass-court season, Krejcikova couldn’t repeat her 2024 heroics, but still showed promising signs.

Barbora Krejcikova on grass in 2025

• 2025 Queen’s Club Championships 1R [LOSS] vs Rebecca Sramkova
• 2025 Eastbourne International 1R [WIN] vs Harriet Dart
• 2025 Eastbourne International 2R [WIN] vs Jodie Burrage
• 2025 Eastbourne International QF [WALKOVER/LOSS]
• 2025 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Alexandra Eala
• 2025 Wimbledon 2R [WIN] vs Caroline Dolehide
• 2025 Wimbledon 3R [LOSS] vs Emma Navarro

If she arrives on grass fully fit in 2026, Krejcikova could well be a contender to win Wimbledon for a second time…

When do the hard, clay, and grass court seasons start?

The hard court season begins at the United Cup on January 2 in Perth, Australia.

For the ATP Tour, the clay season gets underway in South America on February 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while the WTA stars switch over to clay on March 30 at the Charleston Open.

Finally, the grass-court season starts on June 8, at the Libema Open and Queen’s Club Championships (WTA) and the Stuttgart Open and Libema Open (ATP Tour).

It remains to be seen who will impress on all three surfaces next year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.