Coco Gauff has called one teenager on the WTA Tour a ‘great player’ and she could be a big threat in 2026
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Coco Gauff knows what it is like to be an up-and-coming teenage star on the WTA Tour.
Gauff won her first WTA match at 15 years old, and it was that same year where she would make her breakthrough on her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon.
Six years on from that breakout season, Gauff is now a two-time Grand Slam singles champion and is one of the best players on the WTA Tour right now.
Despite still only being 21 years old, Gauff feels like one of the more experienced players on the WTA Tour in 2025 and she spoke highly of a rising teenager she played earlier this year.
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Tereza Valentova could be a huge threat on the WTA Tour next year
Czech teenager Tereza Valentova has enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, despite relatively going under the radar.
Valentova, who is still only 18 years old, is a former Roland Garros junior champion, but she had not played a WTA Tour level match before this year.
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Having begun the season ranked as the world number 241, Valentova has been able to make huge strides this year and is now comfortably inside the top 100.
She has been able to do this as a result of winning WTA 125 level titles, as well as two lower-level ITF tournaments.
Valentova also made her Grand Slam main draw debut this year at Roland Garros, where she won her first round match before playing the aforementioned Gauff.
Gauff was able to show her greater experience to beat Valentova, but the teenager was still able to showcase her potential on the biggest stage.
This was reflected in the post-match comments, with Gauff praising Valentova in her on-court interview.
Gauff said about Valentova, “She’s obviously a great player, great young player, so I knew it was going to be a tough match today.”
Valentova has continued her progression after making her WTA Tour-level debut at her home tournament in Prague, where she reached the semifinals.
This has continued at the Japan Open, with Valentova already beating third seed Elise Mertens and Miami Open semifinalist Alexandra Eala to reach the quarterfinals in Osaka.
Valentova’s progression up the WTA rankings this year has shown her to be the real deal and she should not be underestimated in 2026.
How many teenagers are inside the top 100 of the WTA rankings?
Valentova is one of many young talents making waves on the WTA, with there actually being four teenagers ranked above her.
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This teenage group is led by Mirra Andreeva, who has won Indian Wells and the Dubai Tennis Championships this year.
Some of the other talents in this group include Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko, two-time WTA title winner Maya Joint and American prospect Iva Jovic.
WTA TeenagerCurrent WTA Ranking Best Grand Slam ResultMirra Andreeva No.5Semifinal (Roland Garros 2024)Victoria MbokoNo.24Third Round (Roland Garros 2025)Maya JointNo.34Second Round (US Open 2024 & 2025)Iva JovicNo.35Second Round (Australian Open 2025, Roland Garros 2025, US Open 2024 & 2025)Tereza ValentovaNo.78Second Round (Roland Garros 2025 & US Open 2025)Sara BejlekNo.100Second Round (Roland Garros 2025)
Valentova is not even the only Czech teenager in the top 100, with Sara Bejlek closely following behind her.
Tennis fans will be on the lookout to see how all six of these players fare in 2026, with such big expectations on their shoulders.
