The Grand Slam action may have ended for 2026, but there are a wealth of fascinating storylines generating interest beyond the US Open.
Team competitions are lighting up the courts in September while the tours shift their focus to Asia, with several big tournaments offering valuable points as players chase their spot in the year-end finals.
Here’s what to keep an eye on as the season reaches its conclusion…
1. Laver Cup returns to London
We begin with the Laver Cup, at The O2 in London from 25-27 September.
This is the ninth edition of the unique event pitting Team World against Team Europe, yet the first to be returning to a previous host city.
London was the stage for the Laver Cup in 2022, where Roger Federer famously played his last professional match alongside longtime rival Rafael Nadal.
That was the first year Team World won the competition and the red squad – now captained by Andre Agassi – has gone on to win three of the past four editions. They will present another tough challenge for the hosts with top-10 stars Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur leading the way.
Yet coming in strong is Team Europe, headlined by reigning major champions Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev and also featuring Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli, rising stars Rafael Jodar and Jakub Mensik, and Laver Cup stalwart Casper Ruud, a former world No.2.
We can’t wait to see the action unfold on the event’s signature black court this weekend.
2. Davis and Billie Jean King Cups reach pointy end
At the same time, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals are playing out in Shenzhen, China.
Czechia got off to a winning start in the elite eight-nation event, beating Great Britain 2-0 on Tuesday, before Spain upstaged Kazakhstan 2-1 on Wednesday.
Joining them in the semifinals are Ukraine and Italy, the latter victorious over host nation China in a high-profile tie.
Champions in 2024 and 2025, Italy are the top seeds and will be seeking a third straight title, something no country has managed since the Czechs in 2014-16.
A week earlier, the Davis Cup Final 8 line-up was confirmed when second-round Qualifiers ties were completed across the globe.
In a star-studded clash, Czechia beat the United States 3-2, while other winners included Spain, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, South Korea and Canada.
Those seven nations will join hosts Italy in Bologna to fight for the 2026 Davis Cup title on 24-29 November.
3. Asian swing underway
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals is not the only action unfolding in that region of the world.
This week, WTA players are competing in Singapore and Seoul, while the ATP is staging two tournaments – Chengdu and Hangzhou – in China.
These events mark the beginning of the WTA’s seven-week stint in Asia and precede WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan. The ATP is also building up to 500-level events in Beijing and Tokyo, before the Shanghai Masters next month.
They’re tournaments attracting the world’s best players and the points on offer could play a significant role in shaping the fields at the year-end championships.
4. WTA Finals
The first of these year-end events is the WTA Finals, set for 8-15 November at Indian Wells – a new location in 2026.
So far only Elena Rybakina has qualified for the eight-player field, fitting given she’s the defending champion as well as this year’s Australian Open and US Open winner.
Aiming to join her in the Californian desert are Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova – they currently occupy second to eighth places in the points race to the Finals.
Marta Kostyuk and Iga Swiatek, in ninth and 10th place respectively, are also in contention.
5. ATP Finals
The following week is the ATP Finals, which will return to Turin, Italy for the sixth straight year.
The three reigning major champions – Jannik Sinner, Zverev and Alcaraz – have already confirmed their places among the eight-man field for 15-22 November 2026.
Ben Shelton, Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe, Arthur Fils and Daniil Medvedev are also currently among the top eight players in the race.
Yet keep an eye on ninth-placed Jodar, the 20-year-old Spaniard who this time last year was ranked outside the top 300 yet could still cement his qualification with strong results in Asia.
