The 2025 WTA season delivered a thrilling spectacle with four different Grand Slam champions, setting the stage for an even more unpredictable 2026. Tennis legend Tracy Austin has weighed in with her expert predictions, naming nine players she believes have what it takes to claim a major title this year.

The action kicked off at the Australian Open, where Madison Keys finally broke through for her first Grand Slam victory, stunning world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping final. Coco Gauff followed suit later in the season, capturing her second major trophy—once again overcoming Sabalenka in the championship match.

Now, as the 2026 season unfolds, Elena Rybakina has already made a statement by winning the Australian Open. But according to Austin, the competition is wide open. Speaking on Tennis Channel, she confidently listed her contenders: "I have nine."

"Sabalenka, Rybakina, Swiatek, Gauff, Pegula, Anisimova, Andreeva," Austin began. "I'm going to put in Mboko. I'm very impressed with her. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next year she were to win a major." She added Karolina Muchova to the list, noting, "Even though she lost today, she can get hot. We've seen her rise to the semifinals a couple of times."

Honorable mentions went to Elina Svitolina and Donna Vekic, who Austin says are "just outside" the top tier but worth watching.

One name generating buzz is 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, who has rocketed to world number nine but has yet to make a deep Grand Slam run. After her major debut at Roland Garros ended in the third round, she fell in the second round at Wimbledon and the first round at the US Open. However, her best result came at this year's Australian Open, where she reached the fourth round before falling to Sabalenka. With a WTA 1000 title already under her belt, Mboko's potential is undeniable.

As the season heats up, all eyes will be on these nine players—and a few dark horses—to see who can rise to the occasion and etch their name into tennis history.