The 2026 tennis season has thrown up some epic surprises, as new stars have emerged and shock results have been hard to explain at some of the biggest tournaments on the calendar.
Alex Eala, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have all been involved in some memorable moments, but they have also featured in matches that has thrown up huge upsets.
Here is your Tennis365 guide to the five biggest shocks of the 2026 season so far.
Sebastian Korda beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 (Miami Open)
Alcaraz does not lose too many matches to lower ranked players, but this was an occasion when Korda turned on his power game to blow the Spaniard away.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion was still revelling in the glow of his Australian Open win in January, as he joined the elite list of players to win all four Grand Slam titles.
So this defeat against inspired American Korda was not expected and it sent shockwaves through the men’s game.
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Juan Manuel Cerundolo beat Jannik Sinner 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 (French Open)
This might be the most shocking defeat of all time for a world No 1 at a Grand Slam.
Sinner was on the brink of a straight-sets victory as he raced into a 5-1 lead in the third set and reached match point on a boiling hot day in Paris before his body let him down and he wilted in the heat.
It wasn’t just that fact that Sinner lost the match as the manner of his demise sent out a big message to his rivals that he has a weakness playing in warm conditions.
Diana Shnaider beat Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 (French Open)
If Sinner’s defeat was the most shocking for a male top seed in a Grand Slam in recent years, this defeat for Sabalenka was just as horrible.
She appeared to be on her way to victory after moving into a commanding lead, but Shnaider rattled her and the way she ran away with the match left a lasting scar on Sabalenka.
Her response after the match suggested she wanted to give up tennis and got plenty of attention on a day when her aura as the queen of women’s tennis was shaken badly.
Alex Eala beat Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 (Wimbledon)
Eala had been bubbling under the surface as a star in the making in the women’s game, but this win against defending Wimbledon champion Swiatek was the moment she announced her potential to the world.
Her engaging charm both during the match and in her post-match comments ensured the Eala train was off and running and even though she lost her next match, it set her up for a memorable summer on American hard courts.
Eala looks set to finish the season inside the top 20 in the WTA Rankings and she will be a player to watch heading into 2027.
Mariano Navone beat Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 (US Open)
The sight of Djokovic shedding tears on the biggest stage in tennis led many to conclude he may be reaching the end of his remarkable career.
Navone has too much stamina for the iron man of men’s tennis, but he has bounced back impressively since then to win the China Open title and ensure he has won a title in 21 consecutive years.
Djokovic has been written off time and again this season, but he is finishing the year with hope that his glory days are not behind him at the age of 39.
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