Hard Court Preview 2026 - Ones to watch

Went 26-23 last year and looked like a player who'd lost his way. A run into the second week at Paris changed that, where he then carried the momentum into Halle, winning his first title in 2 years. Now 31-13 in 2026 and heading into the part of the season he's always owned. Two-time US Open semi-finalist and a crowd that treats him like a rock star. The ingredients are all there.

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Reasons for optimism

• Home crowd, limited points to defend, and the best form he's shown in years heading into his favourite stretch of the season
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The risk

• Can beat anyone on his day, but losing focus mid-match has cost him before at the biggest moments

Verdict

• If the mental side matches the physical, this could be the year the swing finally delivers a major result.

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Twenty-two years old, 23-8 this season, with five of those losses against top-10 opponents. Injuries have hampered his momentum in 2026 but haven't dented the results. The serve and forehand are built for fast hard courts with aggressive, front-foot tactics looking to end points early. The problem has never been the game. It's been staying on court long enough.

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Reasons for optimism

• 23-8 this season with losses almost exclusively against elite opposition. The game is tailor-made for fast hard courts

The risk

• It's always fitness. A reduced schedule has protected him so far, but a fortnight of 5-set tennis is a different ask entirely

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‍Verdict

• The most dangerous player in the draw if healthy. The caveat is a big one, but the upside is enormous

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Reached the 2024 US Open semi-finals and climbed to world No.8. Then illness wiped out most of 2025. The comeback has been gradual, with a Nottingham final, a win over Swiatek in Bad Homburg, suggests form slowly returning at exactly the right time. Back on home soil, her movement and court intelligence that made her so difficult in 2024 haven't gone anywhere and she’ll be looking to rediscover the level of previous years.

Reasons for optimism

• Form building at the right time with results suggesting 2024 level is returning

The risk

• 2 years is a long time in tennis. Rebuilding confidence over a fortnight at a Grand Slam is a different challenge
  

Verdict

• If momentum carries over, she’s one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw. Semi-final in 2024 wasn't a fluke, and she knows it

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Two Grand Slam titles, one of the most complete games on tour, and somehow still an afterthought. Beat French Open champion Andreeva at Wimbledon, won in Athens shortly after, and arrives on a six-match winning streak. Wins through tactical awareness, variety and point construction rather than power, proving a difficult matchup on hard courts. The only question, as ever, is durability. If the fitness holds, she's a dangerous dark horse.

Reasons for optimism

• Six-match win streak, an Athens title, and a Wimbledon run that showed she can still beat the best. Arrives under the radar

The risk

• Injuries have repeatedly disrupted her late-season campaigns,going into a long hard-court swing through August
  

Verdict

• Dangerous, experienced and completely overlooked. If the body holds up, Krejcikova could be the dark horse in the draw

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^{Published 23 July 2026}

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