"Is he going to be able to come out and be a force to be reckoned with next year? Maybe" - Jim Courier picks out two players to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner still reign supreme at the height of tennis when 2025 turns over into 2026. Their dominance on the court is currently being showcased in the ATP Finals, with the best players in the world not being able to get the better of them.

They have taken the ATP Circuit by a stranglehold this year. Similar to 2024, the four major Grand Slam have been shared between them while. In the 10 ATP events Sinner has competed in, he has failed to get into the final in just two of them with the only ones he has come out second best in being against Alcaraz. The Spaniard has clinched eight titles this year, ahead of Sinner's five.

The authority they possess can be represented in the rankings. Alcaraz sits first with 11,050 ranking points while Sinner sits in second on 10,000. Alexander Zverev is third with 4,960 points - a huge distance behind the big two in what is an ominous gap. The German is closer to Dutchman Elgin Khoeblal in 1000th position than Sinner in second.

This change was noted by Mark Petchey on the Tennis Channel. He highlighted the reasons for this gap, lauding Alcaraz and Sinner for their ability to adapt and change their game. "They’ve broken free. They’ve changed the game in terms of the way they’ve played," Petchey said. "Jim [Courier] talked about it again on commentary — they’ve been willing, mid-season, to make some big, significant technical changes, which has allowed them to strategise better."

While this was the case, tennis is about to go into hibernation until January when the 2026 season commences. This is a golden opportunity for the chasing pack to close the gap or at least prevent it from expanding even further into the distance. "The beautiful thing about this sport is that the off-season is just around the corner, and everyone’s got a chance to go chase them."

Former world number one Jim Courier named two standout players who could propel themselves in the mix: Jack Draper and Ben Shelton.

The British number one has not been spotted on court since withdrawing from the US Open due to a bruised humerus. He had ascended as high as world number four in the world before that setback, reaching a brace of Masters 1000 finals. "Who’s going to get better? Is it Jack Draper, who played so well to win Indian Wells and then had bad injury problems," Courier questioned. "He’s been sitting out for much of the second half of the season. Is he going to be able to come out and be a force to be reckoned with next year? Maybe — we’ll see."

He also picked out the current American number one, who recently leapfrogded Taylor Fritz for that highly coveted position. He has recently qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time in his career after a brilliant season showing more signs of improvement. Courier once again put the 23-year-old forward but was still uncertain whether he could mix with the best for now. "Is Ben Shelton, the guy who won the 'Best of the Rest' tournament in Canada, going to be the one to step through? We don’t know," Courier admitted. "We might not — this might be a duopoly for a while. But we might get a couple of other players in the mix."

Whatever happens and whoever competes at the top, Courier will be on the edge of his seat like many other tennis fans awaiting for the situation to unfold. "We’re going to stand by, find out, and love watching every minute of it," he concluded.