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Emma Raducanu describes Naomi Osaka as “pure speed”, while the Japanese star said earlier this year that the British player has “a royal air around her”.

Theirs is a mighty rivalry in waiting, barely off the ground but rich in potential, and for just the second time in their careers they are set to play each other.

It should happen at their first tournament of 2026, the United Cup team event in Australia.

Raducanu and Osaka both achieved huge success at a young age, and finding a way back to Grand Slam-winning level has not been easy for either player.

There were flickers of elite form in 2025, but the coming year feels huge for these big personalities of the WTA Tour.

Both have new coaches – Francisco Roig for Raducanu and Tomasz Wiktorowski for Osaka.

Roig and Wiktorowski previously worked with Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek respectively, and Raducanu has already been stepping up her serving under new tutelage, while Osaka is finding a cleaner hit and showing patience.

The curve is trending upwards after ranking rises in 2025, with Osaka at 16th on the WTA list after a run to the US Open semi-finals, and Raducanu 29th and back to being British number one.

They are firmly top 10 in terms of name recognition and intend to reach that status in the rankings again.

To that end, the signs are positive, given both began this year outside the top 50.

Osaka, 28, is a four-time Slam winner, while Raducanu, who recently turned 23, stunned the sporting world in 2021 when she triumphed at the US Open as a qualifier.

It was long past high time for a meeting of the pair when they finally went head to head at the Washington Open in July.

Raducanu was dominant that day against the former world number one, winning 6-4 6-2 for one of her best results of the year.

Before that match, Osaka said of Raducanu: “For me, she’s, like, the queen, like there’s a royal air around her.

“I feel like whenever I see her or Serena, the kid in me comes out, because they were my favourite players to watch.”

It emerged in that week that the pair were effectively strangers to each other on a personal level, having never had a conversation.

On the court, Raducanu’s game was doing plenty of talking.

“I watched her in Wimbledon, but I think it is different playing someone in real life than playing them or seeing them on TV,” Osaka said after her defeat.

“It was really good to get the experience, to feel how her ball is. Hopefully I can play her again one day.”

Raducanu’s verdict was one of great satisfaction, as she said: “I quite like these kind of match-ups where you’re playing a great opponent, a lot of people have eyes on the match, they’re into it. I’m pleased with how I was able to navigate playing a four-time Slam champ.”

Tennis has made both players wealthy and famous, but they have – perhaps more than most in the sport – suffered away from the court.

The event is a mixed-gender national team competition, running from 2-11 January.

Raducanu joins Jack Draper in the Great Britain squad, with Mimi Xu and Billy Harris also travelling as singles players, while Lloyd Glasspool and Olivia Nicholls feature as doubles specialists.

Defending champions the United States are led by Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz.

Henrik Stenson, the previous Open champion, intends to reappear on the DP World Tour in 2026 following his demise from LIV Golf League.

According to the website Bunkered, the 49-year-old Swede has settled fines of more than £1 million with the European-based circuit for playing in conflicting LIV events.

Stenson, who won the Claret Jug at Royal Troon in 2016, was one of the first players to take part in the Saudi Arabian-funded tour three years prior, which led to his being expelled from the 2023 match in Rome as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain.

Stenson, who won on his LIV debut in 2022, finished 49th overall and was relegated.

The LIV circuit, which has 56 players, is imposing relegation because it wants to be recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking, which will aid its players in winning the four major championships.

Instead of attempting to reclaim his position on the main LIV circuit, Stenson appears to be in favor of a return to the DP World Tour next season.

You’ll have good and bad years throughout your career, according to Stenson, which is a part of professional sport.

He left the DP World Tour in 2023 after being fined for breaking the rules when he joined LIV, joining a week later than Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, and Richard Bland.

Up to eight events were banned from the tour, and each tournament regulation breached was subject to fines of up to £100,000.

In addition, England’s Laurie Canter, who left LIV to become the first player to regain eligibility for the PGA Tour, has also reclaimed his status.

After taking a reserve role in Genesis Le Mans’ top-level hypercar program next year, Britain’s Jamie Chadwick claims she is “closer than ever to the ultimate goal.”

Chadwick, 27, is set to become the first female racer to compete in professional sports car racing for a while.

Chadwick told BBC Sport, “It’s incredibly special to be involved.” The “most important goal” is to win a hypercar race. I’m closer than ever, which is exciting, and it feels realistic.

Le Mans is a success, and the career goal is now the World Endurance Championship.

Hyundai, the luxury brand of Hyundai, is the tenth car manufacturer to compete in the hypercar era of the World Endurance Championship, in which the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans is the marquee event.

As a member of a three-person team in the lower level LMP2 category for IDEC Sport, a squad affiliated with the Genesis program, Chadwick won three races in the European Le Mans Series this year.

Chadwick, a three-time All-Female W Series champion, also won a race in the same year’s Indy NXT in America, which is an almost identical to Formula 2, in 2024.

Last month, Chadwick from Bath tested the new GMR-001 hypercar at Circuit Magny-Cours in France.

“My first laps were incredible. It’s a really impressive car that travels in a straight line, Chadwick added.

As a driver, you have a variety of options that you can use to influence the world.

Chadwick’s current goal is to win the Le Mans overall race in a top-level hypercar, but she acknowledges that it almost certainly means the end of her long-awaited career in Formula 1.

“The path I’ve taken over the past few years doesn’t correspond with the customary climb to F1,” I said. Not just F1, but F2 and F3 are so overly competitive. In terms of people entering the sport, there are many people in the grids, and there is not enough room in F3 and F2, let alone F1.

Things must be planned out if you choose to go that way, whether you’re a man or a woman.

France’s Mathys Jaubert and Spain’s Daniel Juncadella were Chadwick’s team-mates from her 2025 season for IDEC, and they were chosen to compete in the next year’s Hypercar alongside two more experienced drivers, Pipo Derani and Andre Lotterer.

Genesis will compete with a number of car manufacturers that are drawn back to sports cars because of their flexible design principles and as a less expensive alternative to Formula 1.

Ferrari’s number 51 car, which includes Britain’s James Calado, the 2023 Le Mans winner, was the winner of this year’s championship at this month’s Bahrain 8 Hours.

Robert Kubica, a former world champion in Poland, drove the number 83 Ferrari 499P to victory at Le Mans this year.

Despite being an FIA “silver-rated” driver like Jaubert, there are only two more seats left to be filled for the two-car WEC entry for 2026.

Chadwick is reportedly highly regarded and content with her progress as a member of the Genesis driver stable.

Chadwick, who last month tested a Jaguar Formula E car, has recently taken on various development driver positions at teams like Williams, which are frequently limited to driving older vehicles for marketing and performing simulations.

One of the biggest indications that a major manufacturer is supporting female racing talent on merit is a reserve position, though.

Few female drivers have recently competed in the most well-known disciplines in motorsport, most recently Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro, who won 10 Formula E races in 2016 alone.

With little success, a number of female drivers have ad-hoc racing in the American IndyCar series.

Amanda Stretton, a top-level British competitor, entered Le Mans for one-time, uncompetitive LMP1 entry in 2008. She was the last female competitor at the top level to compete there.

France’s Odette Siko placed fourth in the Le Mans race in 1932, which was the highest-placed female driver ever.

Britain’s Jamie Chadwick has landed a reserve role in next year’s top-level Genesis Le Mans hypercar programme.

Chadwick, 27, is close to being the first female driver to compete at the top level of sports car racing for several years.

“It’s hugely special to be involved,” said Chadwick. “It’s another progression in my career and one I’m really proud of.

“Becoming a reserve driver in hypercar is one step closer to my ultimate goal.”

Genesis, the luxury brand of Korean manufacturer Hyundai, are the 10th car company to compete in the World Endurance Championship’s hypercar era – in which the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans is the blue riband event.

Chadwick won three races during this year’s European Le Mans Series as part of a three-person team in lower level LMP2 category for IDEC Sport, a squad affiliated with the Genesis programme.

A three-time winner of the all-female W Series, Chadwick also won a race in America’s Indy NXT in 2024 – a close equivalent to Formula 2.

Chadwick, from Bath, tested the new GMR-001 hypercar at Circuit Magny-Cours in France last month.

“My first laps were amazing. It’s a really impressive car and so fast in a straight line,” added Chadwick.

“There’s a lot of different systems available to you as a driver, tools that you can use to make a difference.

Chadwick’s team-mates from her 2025 season for IDEC were France’s Mathys Jaubert and Spain’s Daniel Juncadella, and both have been selected to race in next year’s hypercar alongside two more experienced drivers, Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani.

Next year Genesis are set to compete with several car manufacturers attracted back to sports cars for its flexible design rules and as a cheaper alternative to Formula 1.

Ferrari won this year’s championship at the Bahrain 8 Hours this month, in the number 51 car which includes Britain’s Le Mans winner from 2023 James Calado.

Poland’s former Formula 1 ace Robert Kubica won this year’s Le Mans in June in the number 83 Ferrari 499P.

Although there are two further seats yet to be filled for the two-car WEC entry for 2026 it appears Chadwick was considered too inexperienced, despite being an FIA ‘silver-rated’ driver – the same as Jaubert.

However, Genesis are said to highly rate Chadwick and are pleased with her progress as part of the Genesis driver stable.

Chadwick, who tested a Jaguar Formula E car last month, has taken on several development driver roles at teams such as Williams in Formula 1 in recent years – positions often limited to driving older cars for marketing purposes and driving simulation work.

But a reserve role is one of the biggest signals yet that a major manufacturer is backing female racing talent on merit.

Very few female drivers have competed in the top level of motorsport’s most popular disciplines in recent years – most recently Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro competed in 10 Formula E races in 2016.

Various female drivers have taken on races in America’s IndyCar series on an ad hoc basis, with little success.

Britain’s Amanda Stretton was the last female competitor in the top level to compete at Le Mans, in a one-off uncompetitive LMP1 entry in 2008.

The highest-placed finish for a female driver at Le Mans is fourth, for France’s Odette Siko in 1932.