While the ATP Tour was largely dominated by just two players in 2025, there were several different champions on the biggest stages during the WTA season.
Four stars clinched major titles this year, with Madison Keys emerging victorious at the Australian Open in January to win a maiden Grand Slam.
Coco Gauff followed her American compatriot by defeating Aryna Sabalenka to secure her first Roland Garros title in June.
Then, Iga Swiatek became the first Pole in history to win a Wimbledon singles championship, before Sabalenka finally added to her major tally at the US Open.
WTA 1000 winners included Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova and Jasmine Paolini, while the year-end WTA Finals trophy was ultimately claimed by Elena Rybakina.
As each of those stars looks to build on their success in 2026, three young players look poised to join them among the titles next year.
1. Victoria Mboko
Victoria Mboko enjoyed an incredible second half to her first full season in 2025, having added two titles to her name since the summer.
The Canadian teenager reached the final at a WTA 125 event in Parma before taking the tennis world by storm in July.
In front of a home crowd, Mboko won the Canadian Open by putting together a phenomenal run, which included victories over Gauff, Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka in the final.
| Round | Opponent |
| Final | Naomi Osaka |
| Semifinals | Elena Rybakina |
| Quarterfinals | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro |
| Fourth Round | Coco Gauff |
| Third Round | Maria Bouzkova |
| Second Round | Sofia Kenin |
| First Round | Kimberly Birrell |
Her triumph saw her crack the top 25, and while results may have dipped in the tournaments afterwards, Mboko recorded a strong finish to her season.
During the Asian swing, she advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open, and won the Hong Kong Tennis Open.
As she continues to develop her game in the offseason, Mboko’s 2026 campaign promises to be truly special.
2. Alexandra Eala
One of Mboko’s opponents en route to the Hong Kong Tennis Open title was Alexandra Eala, who also put together an impressive debut year on tour.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate burst onto the scene at the Miami Open in March, where she became the first Filipino to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament.
How many Grand Slam titles do you think Aryna Sabalenka will win in 2026?
Eala beat two top-ten players in Miami, overcoming Keys and Swiatek before ultimately falling to Jessica Pegula in the final four.
In June, she then made it to the final of the Eastbourne Open, but could not find an answer for Maya Joint in the championship match.
The 20-year-old finally tasted success when she won the Guadalajara Open in September, becoming the first from her country to win a WTA singles title.
Now ranked 50th in the world, Eala will head into 2026 full of confidence, having proved herself against the very best in the game this year.
3. Maya Joint
Eala’s Eastbourne conqueror, Joint, finished the season ranked 32nd in the world, at the age of 19.
The Australian star had her first full trip around the WTA Tour, and it was a successful one, with 52 wins and two titles clinched.
Joint enjoyed two semifinal finishes early on in the season in Hobart and Cancun, and won her first WTA title in Rabat, triumphing at the competition without dropping a set.
She followed it up with another crown in Eastbourne, defeating the likes of Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu en route to the final, where she came out on top against Eala.
The number one Australian may not have had the results at Grand Slams she would have hoped for, but the best is most certainly yet to come for her at majors.
Going into 2026, Joint looks ready to contend with the world’s top players, and with title-winning performances produced at such a young age, she may well be carving out the beginning of a very successful career.
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