{"id":398187,"date":"2026-01-10T00:07:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T00:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/398187\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T00:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T00:07:08","slug":"which-players-made-big-impressions-in-week-1-of-2026-tennis-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/398187\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Players Made Big Impressions in Week 1 of 2026? \u2013 Tennis Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first full week (plus a few days) of tennis is in the books, and the Australian Open is beckoning, with main draw action just over one week away. So, whose stocks are up and whose stocks are down?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"tennis<\/a>tennis express pro player gearStock Up: Hubert Hurkacz\u00a0After missing seven months due to knee surgery \u2013 his second in two years \u2013 Hubert Hurkacz has returned to the tour with a vengeance. His moving like a young stallion and raining down aces with supreme confidence. The Pole, ranked 83, will be the player that nobody wants to see when the Australian Open draw is revealed next week.\u00a0he<\/p>\n

He served 21 aces in each of his first two matches, wins over Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor, and was just barely edged out by Alex de Minaur in three tight sets in the United Cup quarterfinals (Hurkacz fired another 19 aces in the match, though).<\/p>\n

Stock Down: Taylor Fritz\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fritz talked to reporters about the fact that he didn\u2019t have enough time during the off-season to completely rid himself of knee troubles. That\u2019s scary when you have a player that has logged over 75 matches in each of the last three seasons, talking about the possibility of shutting it down if things don\u2019t improve. Add to that the fact that Fritz lost two of his first three United Cup matches \u2013 to Sebastian Baez and Stefanos Tsitsipas \u2013 and you have yourself a red flag.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stock Up: Belinda Bencic\u00a0<\/p>\n

Building on her comeback season, one that featured a rise all the way to No.11 in the world and trip to the Wimbledon semifinals, Bencic is looking like a player that is headed for the Top-10 this season. She\u2019s been a tour de force in singles and doubles at the United Cup, going 6-0 overall through the quarterfinals \u2013 the perfect start to what could be another stellar year for the Swiss.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Stan Wawrinka it’s “Belinda’s World” \u2728 <\/p>\n

United Cup captain Stan Wawrinka praises Bencic ahead of Switzerland’s semifinal duel in Sydney and opens up about his AO plans. https:\/\/t.co\/UpKO5PhTNQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TENNIS (@Tennis) January 8, 2026<\/a> Stock Down: Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik\u00a0<\/p>\n

We know they\u2019re talented, and likely headed for the Top 10. But rising Czechs Jakub Mensik and Jiri Lehecka are already looking fatigued in the first week of the season and that isn\u2019t a great sign. Lehecka was forced to abandon his Brisbane title defense in the round of 16 as he pulled out of his match with Sebastian Kora with an ankle injury. Mensik has battled illness and lost two out of three at the United Cup (to De Minaur and Zizou Bergs in straight sets).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stock Up: Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two young guns that made a big impression on the WTA Tour last year are doing more of the same in Auckland this week. 18-year-old Iva Jovic and 20-year-old Alexandra Eala jumped out of the games quickly, both reaching the semis.<\/p>\n

Stock Down: Sloane Stephens\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year was miserable for 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. She ended 2025 carrying a 12-match tour-level winning streak. It\u2019s now 13 after Stephens fell to Mexico\u2019s Renata Zarazua 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round at Auckland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stock Up: Stefanos Tsitsipas\u00a0<\/p>\n

A 2025 season plagued by back problems took Tsitsipas down to 34 in the world. In 2026, te former world No.3 is back and feeling fit, and it is showing in his tennis. Tsitsipas earned his first Top-10 win in 18 months against Fritz at the United Cup, and he\u2019s already 3-0 on the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stock Down: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina\u00a0<\/p>\n

2025 was a super solid year for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He won 43 matches, reached four finals and started this year at No.14 in the world (a career-high). He also started the year with a loss, however, falling as the No.2 seed in Brisbane to Brandon Nakashima.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stock Up: Zizou Bergs\u00a0<\/p>\n

After falling to Zhang Zhizhen in his first match at the United Cup, Bergs rebounded with back-to-back Top-20 wins, over No.5 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No.18 Jakub Mensik. Bergs became the lowest-ranked player \u2013 and the first outside the top 20 \u2013 to claim multiple ATP or WTA top 20 wins at a single edition of the United Cup.<\/p>\n

Stock Down: PTPA\u00a0<\/p>\n

Without Novak Djokovic, one of its co-founders, the future of the PTPA does indeed look bleak. How will they fulfill their ambitious agenda without the GOAT at the helm?<\/p>\n

Stock Up: Christian Harrison and Jakub Paul<\/p>\n

They are far more unsung than their superstar doubles partners at United Cup (Harrison has been paired with Coco Gauff and Paul with Belinda Bencic), but give these two credit for showing off their doubles chops as each went 3-0 in their first three matches, and all six of the wins were in deciding rubbers.<\/p>\n

Marta Kostyuk<\/p>\n

The Ukranian has reeled off back-to-back Top-10 wins to reach the Brisbane semifinals. She took out Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to earn Top-10 wins at the same event on hard court for the first time since 2023.<\/p>\n