The 2026 Australian Open may be in the books, but there’s still plenty of tennis to come this year.
It was an unforgettable tournament for Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz, each winning their first Australian Open title with victories over Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic.
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The men’s semi-finals and both finals brought plenty of drama, with the tournament coming to life just when it needed to.
As ATP and WTA players leave Australia, attention now turns to what the rest of 2026 could hold for tennis.
Roddick backs tennis after positive 2026 Australian Open
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images for the Laver Cup
“Tennis is winning right now. And I feel like I say that at the end of every Grand Slam,” Roddick said.
“You take what Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe started to build, and the visions they had, and it grows and grows.
“It had its moment in the ’80s when (John) McEnroe sold more sneakers than Larry Bird for a while, and it came and went.
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“Now I have the impression that, on the backs of the previous generation, things continue!
“No one looks at it right now, or the way the players dress, and thinks it’s this antiquated sport. It’s the sport that’s stuck in the moment.”
The former US Open champion also spoke about how tennis has evolved without losing touch with its roots.
Roddick added: “We have all this cool new stuff, but we can always talk about how Carlos (Alcaraz) compares to Ivan Lendl. It’s fantastic.”
Tennis is not a static sport; it changes from year to year. Over time, these adjustments seem to do more good than harm.
Three problems that sport still needs to address
How many times are we going to have this conversation before something actually changes? Players continue to share how demanding the tour schedule is on their bodies, but the powers that be don’t seem ready to listen.
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Several top players, including Holger Rune, are out for an extended period, largely due to a busy schedule.
It is time for the ATP and WTA Tours to prioritize player well-being and make a change. Players are also frustrated with the prize money they receive at Grand Slam tournaments.
They believe that the four major tournaments do not share their revenue fairly with players. In 2025, players sent a letter to Grand Slam players proposing a more equitable distribution of income, although it is unclear how much progress has been made.
Fans have been glued to the television watching the action at major tournaments like the Australian Open. But keeping them engaged throughout the year in tennis is a whole other challenge.
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