Man vs AI: Grand Slam champions 2026

Jonathan Victoria • 20 May 2026 Features

Serving up some tasty and surprising picks for the summer.

The Australian Open feels like an age ago now but as we head towards Summer, the Grand Slams will be coming hard and fast. 

With Roland-Garros getting set to provide another ace tournament, I have once again pit myself against ChatGPT in another battle of man against machine as we give our respective predictions as to the champions of this year’s remaining Grand Slams.

Roland-Garros

Men’s champion

> Me: Jannik Sinner

The French Open is all Sinner needs to claim his career Grand Slam - at 24 years old it should be added - and with Carlos Alcaraz out for the tournament, he should be walking the field.

> ChatGPT: Jannik Sinner

With Alcaraz absent, Sinner becomes the clear favourite. His improved clay-court patience and consistency over five sets make him the safest pick for Paris. 

Women’s Champion

> Me: Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka’s improvements on all court types in recent seasons saw her make the French Open final last year. While a losing effort then, I’m backing her to get it done this year.

> ChatGPT: Iga Swiatek

Even with the women’s game becoming less predictable, Paris still feels like Świątek’s territory. Her movement and confidence on clay make her incredibly difficult to stop over two weeks.

Wimbledon

Gentlemen’s champion

> Me: Jannik Sinner

This week brought the unfortunate news that Alcaraz will not be ready in time for Wimbledon, leaving the door wide open for Sinner to take his second consecutive Grand Slam for the season.

> ChatGPT: Jannik Sinner

Centre Court increasingly feels like Sinner’s stage. His calmness, consistency and improving grass-court movement make him look built for multiple Wimbledon titles. 

Ladies’ Champion

> Me: Elena Rybakina

Rybakina seems to be back to playing her best tennis after a poor showing in Grand Slams in 2025. She did win the season-ending WTA Finals that year and followed it by winning the Australian Open in 2026, so she seems at her best, hence why I’m picking her to claim a second Wimbledon title.

> ChatGPT: Mirra Andreeva

Andreeva feels destined for a breakthrough Wimbledon run soon. Her composure, variety and tactical intelligence already look years beyond her age, and grass should increasingly suit her game. 

US Open

Men’s champion

> Me: Taylor Fritz

I want to believe someone will be able to overcome the Sinner-Alcaraz dominance, and if there’s anywhere and any player, it’s Taylor Fritz at his home nation tournament. He’s made one final before, here’s to hoping he can do it again but this time with more success.

> ChatGPT: Joao Fonseca

The bold pick. Fonseca’s explosive baseline game feels built for New York night sessions, and the US Open often crowns the sport’s next superstar first. 

Women’s champion

> Me: Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka’s gameplan is all about overpowering her opponents, and she does some exceptionally on hard courts. She’s got two US Open titles already and I’d back her to make it three in a row.

> ChatGPT: Aryna Sabalenka

The US Open’s fast hard courts remain perfect for Sabalenka’s power game. When her confidence is flowing, few players can match her intensity or ability to dominate matches quickly. 

Wildcard winners

One extra prediction each. No safety-first picks allowed.

Me

Alexander Zverev | Roland-Garros: He’s made three Grand Slam finals without victory. While Sinner will be hard - nay near-impossible - to beat, sheer willpower might give Zverev a little boost.

Iga Swiatek | Roland-Garros: Swiatek is almost as dominant at Roland-Garros as Nadal was at his best. Since 2019, she has not gone more than one year without a French Open title. She lost last year, so she might find herself back atop the mountain this year.

ChatGPT

Ben Shelton | US Open: Shelton’s serve and fearless shot-making make him dangerous on New York hard courts. If the draw opens up, he absolutely has the game to go all the way. 

Coca Gauff | Wimbledon: Gauff already thrives under big-match pressure, and her movement on grass keeps improving. Wimbledon feels like the Slam where she could suddenly put everything together.