Jim Courier and Mark Petchey disagree over the next player to win a major other than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the Grand Slam tournaments once again in 2025.

Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last eight major titles, with each player winning four Grand Slams in that period.

This has included playing each other in the last three consecutive major finals, with Alcaraz beating Sinner at the US Open in the latest of those.

Alcaraz and Sinner have played a total of six finals against each other this year, and both Jim Courier and Mark Petchey have picked a potential challenger to them next year.

Jim Courier and Mark Petchey predict the next man to become a Grand Slam champion

There is a lot of conversation about who could challenge Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026, and this same question arose once again after the conclusion of the ATP Finals.

When speaking on Tennis Channel Live, the former coach of Emma Raducanu, Mark Petchey, backed Felix Auger-Aliassime as the player to become the next major champion not named Alcaraz or Sinner.

Auger-Aliassime is at a career-high ranking after the ATP Finals, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Alcaraz.

“I’m going to go with Felix Auger-Aliassime,” said Petchey. “I love the way that he’s played, I know that he’s played with a roof over his head for the last couple of months, so that maybe just kind of clouding my judgement a little bit. But, all four majors have got roofs these days, he may well get the luxury of playing under the roof.

“But I like the way he’s just matured in the last sort of three, four months, I like the way he played obviously at the US Open and he’s got big weapons. And I look at Jannik and Carlos, and if you don’t come with firepower they’re going to get you every single time.”

Former world number one Courier then gave his verdict, and actually gave a different name to Petchey.

Courier has previously praised Jack Draper, and he backed the Briton once again following the display he showed at Indian Wells earlier this year en route to winning the title.

“I’m going to put my money down on Jack Draper…If he’s healthy as he’s shown us at Indian Wells, he can play with the big boys,” said Courier. “He’s got big weapons with his leftie serve, his forehand is massive, he just needs health.

“His arm went out on him after Wimbledon this year. Had a bone bruise stress fracture, haven’t seen enough of him, but it sounds like from listening to some podcasts with him it seems like he’s going to be back and ready to go for some exhos in the off-season and get back into it. We’ll see if Jack can do it, he’s been to a semifinal at the US Open in 2024.”

Presenter Steve Weissman also gave his opinion on the matter, and suggested teenage sensation Joao Fonseca could challenge Alcaraz and Sinner in the future.

“I’m going to go with the youngest teenager in the top 100 right now, Joao Fonseca,” said Weissman. “I think speaking of weapons, he brings it. He’s got a lot of leeway in front of him, he’s 19 years old.

“I think he’s got what it takes to win a major. And I don’t know if it’s going to come next year, I think Sinner and Alcaraz could win all four next year…It may happen in 2027.”

Who had the best Grand Slam record in 2025 out of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jack Draper and Joao Fonseca?

While Petchey, Courier and Weissman have named their picks for the next new major champion, only one of them has gone really deep at a Grand Slam this year.

That player is Auger-Aliassime, who reached the US Open semifinals for the second time in his career, despite struggling at the three other majors.

Draper is also a former US Open semifinalist, but he has been unable to surpass the fourth round at any of the Grand Slams in 2025, with an arm injury particularly hampering him at Wimbledon and the New York major.

Fonseca won two ATP titles this year, but he is yet to translate this form to the Grand Slams.

Having made his main draw debut at all four majors this year, Fonseca has reached the third round of both the French Open and Wimbledon, but he has gone no further than that just yet.