“I’m betting on my compatriot Taylor Fritz” : Roger Federer’s ex-coach Paul Annacone believes Fritz can win a Grand Slam in 2026

The 2026 tennis season is all set to return next week, as players look forward to the first major of the year. The Australian Open has proved to be a good hunting ground for Jannik Sinner, who has won consecutive titles in Melbourne in 2024 and 2025.

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated world tennis over the last couple of years, with each player winning four Slams each in the last two years. Taylor Fritz is among the top contenders to challenge the duo, however, he has failed to win a Grand Slam yet.

Former coach of Roger Federer, Paul Annacone believes that Taylor Fritz could win a Grand Slam in 2026. The American believes that Fritz has been able to stay consistent at the top level, and it is not a long way until we could see him finally lifting a Major title.

“I’m betting on my compatriot Taylor Fritz. The American seems increasingly comfortable at the top, so if he stays healthy, I can easily see him among the winners!,” said Annacone.

Taylor Fritz came closest to winning a Major title in 2024, when he reached the US Open finals, where to lost to Jannik Sinner. Taylor Fritz had a very ordinary year when it comes to Grand Slams in 2025, where his best result was a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon, losing to Carlos Alcaraz. He also faced early eliminations from the French Open, where he lost in the first round, and from the Australian Open in the third round.

Former American tennis player also added a couple of points on what Taylor Fritz must do in order to win a Grand Slam title. “This really comes down to breaking through against Alcaraz and Sinner, and this is going to be a common theme. He’s getting to those points and Slams most of the time now, or facing Novak at the US Open, which, you know, is a tough matchup, or Sinner. He’s there. Like, it’s not hard to be top four or six in the world, and he’s kind of doing it every year now,” said Roddick.