Tennis expert Andy Schooler looks ahead to the 2026 tennis season and picks out five tennis stars to follow on the ATP Tour.
ATP 5 to Follow 2026: Huge Tennis Stars to Follow
The 2025 campaign ended with few signs of the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly being broken up – remember, they’ve now won the last eight Grand Slam titles between them. However, if there’s a player with a high ceiling who could potentially muscle his way in, then Fonseca holds claims. The Brazilian has the shot-making ability to do so and he’s just completed his first full season on the tour, finishing 24th in the rankings and going 26-16 at tour level.
ATP Tennis Stars to Follow 2026: Joao Fonseca
That effort included an early-season title on his favoured clay but, significantly, he also pocketed the Basel crown on indoor hard in the autumn, proving he’s not simply a player for one surface. This season will probably be too early for Fonseca to be battling Alcaraz and Sinner for the sport’s biggest prizes but further improvement looks on the cards and if he finds greater consistency, it would be no surprise to see the 19-year-old inside the top 10 in 12 months’ time.
ATP Tennis Stars to Follow 2026: Hamad Medjedovic
The Serb, still only 22, slipped back a tad towards the end of last season, winning just two of his final 10 matches of the campaign. However, he had a number of injury issues in the second half of 2025 and, if fully fit, I’d expect more from Medjedovic this term, especially on the faster surfaces.
His first serve is a weapon and he backs it up with an attacking approach and plenty of power off the ground. Beat the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune in the first half of 2025, when he also made the final in Marseille. Has a strong relationship with compatriot Novak Djokovic and being able to call on the advice of such a mentor could prove invaluable.
ATP Tennis Stars to Follow 2026: Raphael Collignon
The 23-year-old has had plenty of injury problems to deal with so far in his career but 2025 went well on that front and that was reflected in the Belgian’s ranking rise. Collignon finished the season inside the top 100 following a particularly impressive second half of the campaign which brought victories over top-20 stars Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Seeing off the latter in Brussels helped him reach his maiden ATP Tour semi-final.
He also won Challenger titles on both hard and clay surfaces. With former tour pro Steve Darcis on his coaching team, Collignon has plenty of experience to call upon and I’m expecting him to push higher up the rankings in 2026.
ATP Tennis Stars to Follow 2026: Roman Andres Burruchaga
The ‘second division’ Challenger Tour is the battleground for places on the main tour and you can expect to see more of Burruchaga at the higher level in 2026. The Challenger circuit is packed with South Americans who specialise in claycourt tennis and that has been the route onto the tour for many current stars – think Francisco Cerundolo and Sebastian Baez as primary examples. Burruchaga, coached by another of those dirt-ballers in Leonardo Mayer, could be the next cab off the rank.
Having won three Challenger titles in 2025, he’s knocking on the door of the top 100 so should start to get chances at some of the smaller ATP Tour events. February’s Golden Swing could be an interesting time for the 23-year-old, who beat Lorenzo Sonego after qualifying in Rome back in May and recently took down Mariano Navone, a strong clay sort, in Montevideo. Across the season as a whole, he won five of his nine matches against top-100 opponents. Comes from good sporting stock too – father Jorge won the 1986 FIFA World Cup, scoring in the final!
ATP Tennis Stars to Follow 2026: Justin Engel
We might not see too much of Engel on the main tour, given he’s currently ranked just 187th, but the 18-year-old looks a prospect and is worthy of a mention in this feature. The German caught the eye while playing as a wild card in Stuttgart in the summer. His impressive serve helped him progress to the quarter-finals and he already looks to have the power in his game to compete at a high level. Now, as his ex-pro coach Philipp Kohlschreiber says, it’s about making him tactically sound.
He said: “He has the ability to create speed off both sides and on the serve. That’s how modern tennis is. You need to have power to finish points and a good serve, and I’m very happy that he brings these good things to the table. “On the other side, I think it’s now my job to combine his power with a little bit of strategy, shot selection, and also toughness in the point.” The youngest player in the top 350 should enjoy a strong year on the Challenger Tour and is certainly worth noting for the future.
By Andy Schooler
Please note that the information provided in this ATP 5 Tennis Stars to Follow article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
18+ | BeGambleAware.org
