The 2026 tennis season is here, kicking off with a jam-packed opening week featuring the United Cup and two ATP 250s in Brisbane and Hong Kong. With a rating of 250 points, these drawings are stacked. Among the players present are Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios, Lorenzo Musetti, Alexander Bublik and Andrey Rublev.
Time for the first predictions for 2026.
Brisbane International
WhereLocation: Brisbane, Australia
The face: It’s difficult
Points: 250
Prize money:N/A
Top seeds: Daniel Medvedev
The defending champion: Jiri Lehecka
Draw an analysis: You could actually make an argument that unseeded players in Brisbane are better than seeds. That’s how deep the field is to start the year Down Under. The unprecedented group includes Dimitrov, Kyrgios (who may not be a good tennis player these days, but at least he’ll attract fans), Frances Tiafoe, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Tomas Machac, Sebastian Korda, and Brandon Nakashima. That’s not to say that seedy guys are slouches. Joining Medvedev on the list are Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul, Jiri Lehecka, Denis Shapovalov, and NextGen ATP Finals champion Learner Tien.
Although Joao Fonseca has withdrawn due to a back injury, the top half of the draw still offers plenty of danger. Medvedev begins his title bid against Marton Fucsovics before facing Tiafoe in the second round, Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals, and Lehecka, Tien, or Korda in the semis. Near the bottom of the bracket, interesting first round matches include Davidovich Fokina vs. Nakashima, Paul vs. Coach Perricard, and Dimitrov vs. Pablo Carreno Busta.
Forecasts for the last quarter: Daniil Medvedev over Matteo Arnaldi, Student Tien over Jiri Lehecka, Cameron Norrie over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina over Raphael Collignon
Semi-finalist: Medvedev over Tien and Davidovich Fokina over Norrie
Finally: Medvedev over Davidovich Fokina
Bank of China Open
WhereLocation: Hong Kong, China
The face: It’s difficult
Points: 250
Prize moneyPrice: $780,000
Top seeds: Lorenzo Musetti
The defending champion: Alexandre Muller
Draw an analysis: Hong Kong won’t make as many headlines as Brisbane, but the 28-man draw is respectable. Musetti, Bublik, Rublev, and Khachanov are the top four characters with byes. A strong unseeded crop is headlined by Marin Cilic, Miomir Kecmanovic, Jerry Shang, Botic van de Zandschulp, and Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong.
With what is sure to be a big crowd behind him, the in-form Wong has a good chance of reaching at least the quarterfinals – at which point he could run into Musetti. Rublev also finds himself at the top of the draw for players and veterans who will face off against Cilic and Adrian Mannarino. Bublik, who is the No. 2, could meet Botic van de Zandschulp in the last 16 and Khachanov or defending champion Alexandre Muller in the semifinals.
Forecasts for the last quarter: Lorenzo Musetti over Coleman Wong, Nuno Borges over Fabian Marozsan, Karen Khachanov over Miomir Kecmanovic, and Alexander Bublik over Francisco Comesana
Semi-finalist: Musetti over Borges and Khachanov over Bublik
Finally: Musetti over Khachanov
