Three of the biggest names in women’s tennis failed to win a Grand Slam in 2026.
Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek all finished 2026 without a Grand Slam win, enduring difficult campaigns. Sabalenka lost two major finals, Gauff lost two semi-finals, and Swiatek lost one quarter-final.
Which of these four WTA players will win the most Grand Slams next year?
Sabalenka, Gauff and Swiatek all went without a major title in 2026…
But who is best placed to bounce back and win a major in 2027? Serena Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, has now answered that very question.
Rennae Stubbs backs Aryna Sabalenka to win a Grand Slam in 2027
During the latest episode of the ‘Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast‘, the Aussie named the player she believes is most likely to win a Grand Slam next year between Sabalenka, Gauff, and Swiatek.
My thoughts are that it’s [Aryna] Sabalenka. She will probably be one of the favourites at the Australian Open. I think it’s a good question. It’s a shock to me that neither of them won a Slam this year. I think if you had to sway on one, it would be Sabalenka; she will be really p—– [that] she didn’t win one this year. She has to make some emotional changes to her game, and if she does that, she will probably win the Australian Open,” said Stubbs.
“I think [Iga] Swiatek has to feel better about her chances at the French Open next year, although Coco [Gauff] loves clay as well. But I would probably have to go Sabalenka and then a bit of a tie between Swiatek and Coco Gauff.”
Sabalenka won more matches than Gauff and Swiatek across the four major tournaments this season. The Belarusian finishes 2026 with a 19-4 Grand Slam record.
Comparing Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek at 2026 Slams
| Grand Slam | Aryna Sabalenka | Coco Gauff | Iga Swiatek |
| Australian Open | Final | Quarter-final | Quarter-final |
| French Open | Quarter-final | Third round | Fourth round |
| Wimbledon | Fourth round | Semi-final | Third round |
| US Open | Final | Semi-final | Fourth round |
| 2026 Grand Slam record | 19-4 (83%) | 16-4 (80%) | 12-4 (75%) |
But despite her impressive win tally, Sabalenka failed to add another Grand Slam to her trophy cabinet. She remains on four, only one ahead of Elena Rybakina, who won two in 2026.
2026 Grand Slam women’s singles champions
- Australian Open – Elena Rybakina
- French Open – Mirra Andreeva
- Wimbledon – Linda Noskova
- US Open – Elena Rybakina
Only time will tell who will win the four Grand Slams in 2027, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action. The 2027 Australian Open begins on January 11.
Rennae Stubbs doesn’t think Jessica Pegula will ever win a Grand Slam unless she changes her serve
Stubbs also delivered her verdict on another player who failed to win a Grand Slam in 2026, Jessica Pegula.
“I think Jess [Pegula] is going to struggle winning a Slam against the likes of Sabalenka, Rybakina and even the likes of Iga. If they are returning her serve well, the biggest issue for me is that I think Jess Pegula needs to work on a slider second serve and stop hitting this kicker serve all the time. That goes into the hitting zone of the best players in the world,” she said.
“On the backhand, she is just going to get crushed every single time. I don’t know why she kept hitting it there against Sabalenka, and it just got crushed. So until she changes where she’s serving, I don’t think so.”
Pegula’s serving stats are impressive, but as Stubbs mentioned, it’s the very best returners that punish her. Big hitters like Sabalenka and Rybakina trouble Pegula, and if she doesn’t change, it’s hard to see her ever winning a major.
Jessica Pegula’s serving stats (2026)
- Aces – 270th (4th on WTA Tour)
- Double faults – 113 (57th on WTA Tour)
- 1st Serve % – 62% (152nd on WTA Tour)
- Win % on 1st Serve – 69.8% (20th on WTA Tour)
- 2nd Serve % – 50.1% (24th on WTA Tour)
- Win % of Service points – 62.3% (8th on WTA Tour)
- Break points saved % – 58.5% (51st on WTA Tour)
- Win % of Service games – 76.2% (13th on WTA Tour)
The American is the oldest player in the WTA top 10 and has established herself as one of the most consistent players around, although that might not be enough to win her a Grand Slam title.
Whether she will address the serving problems Stubbs highlighted remains to be seen. Pegula will return to action at the China Open, which begins on Monday, September 28.


