Ten junior players to keep an eye on during 2026
With the 2026 Australian Open Junior Championships – the first Junior Grand Slam of the season – fast approaching, here are 10 junior players to keep an eye on this season.
It is important to say that there are far more than 10 talented players primed to make their mark this season and beyond. This list is subjective, not binding and simply a means to whet the appetite for what promises to be another rip-roaring year.
In addition, there will be players competing on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors in 2026 who have already made a significant mark within junior tennis. Kristina Penickova is a good example and the 16-year-old is already well-known within junior circles after finishing 2025 as the year-end No. 1.
That accolade earned her multiple main draw places on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women's through the Junior Accelerator Programme. While the expectation is she will make waves there in 2026, the possibility of seeing her at elite junior events, such as the Junior Grand Slams, remains.
The same logic applies to someone like Yannick Alexandrescou, who qualified for the 2025 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in Chengdu and finished second. It is a fair prediction that he is likely to be among the frontrunners for honours at Junior Grand Slams, so probably does not belong on this list.
The below group of players features names of players who have not hit such heights yet but could well take some really big steps during the next 12 months.
Looking at things through that lens, here goes…
Luis Guto Miguel (BRA): The 16-year-old enjoyed a fruitful second half to last season, which included reaching the semi-finals at the US Open and winning the biggest title of his career at J500 Merida. That timing seems to suggest an upward trajectory.
Julia Stusek (GER): Stusek reached five semi-finals on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s in 2025, won the biggest title of her career at J500 Offenbach in April and qualified for the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals. She will be looking to kick on.
Ryo Tabata (JPN): A member of the ITF-operated Grand Slam Player Development Programme Touring Team in 2025, Tabata reached the semis at the Roland Garros Junior Championships and notched three titles at J300 level. 2026 would seem a big year for him.
Ksenia Efremonva (FRA): The 16-year-old has already enjoyed considerable success with four ITF World Tennis Tour Women's titles to her name, while last year she claimed four junior titles. Can 2026 be the year Efremova seals major junior silverware? She will surely fancy her chances.
Ziga Sesko (SLO): There is plenty of talk about this talented teenager and reaching the quarter-final at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon fuelled the noise. He reached his maiden ITF World Tennis Tour Men’s final in November. He’s worth keeping an eye on.
Victoria Luiza Barros (BRA): Has been there or thereabouts for a while now and has the potential to make a significant mark this season. Ended 2025 by reaching finals at W15 Antalya and J500 Merida and the semis at J500 Fort Lauderdale.
Michael Antonius (USA): One of several aspiring Americans alongside the likes of Jack Kennedy and Keaton Hance. Antonius was a key member of the USA team that won the Davis Cup Juniors title in 2025 and ITF World Junior Tennis title in 2024. He is only 16, but clearly talented.
Thea Frodin (USA): A significant moment in Frodin’s fledgling career came in March 2025 as she conquered all before her at J500 Gaspar. While there was no further singles silverware in 2025 – there was in doubles – the stage would appear set for a big 2026.
Nikita Bilozertsev (UKR): Three titles, the best at J300 Astana, during 2025 and some impressive victories against good opponents suggests there is much more to come from this 17-year-old.
Xinran Sun (CHN): Only 15, but Sun was motoring at the end of 2025. She won back-to-back ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s event at W15 Sharm El Sheikh before triumphing at J500 Fort Lauderdale. Impressive stuff.