Victoria Mboko and Felix Auger-Aliassime have resumed their strong start to the 2026 tennis season. The Canadian duo led their team to victory against China in the United Cup mixed teams event, winning all three matches in the Group B round-robin tie.
In the men’s singles match, Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 5, secured a straight-sets victory over Zhang Zhizhen with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Mboko, ranked 18th in the women’s singles, displayed a remarkable comeback after losing the first set to defeat Lin Zhu with a final score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. The pair then combined forces in the mixed doubles match, defeating Xiaodi You and Rigele Te with a score of 6-1, 6-3.
Auger-Aliassime’s recent successes include reaching the U.S. Open semifinals, claiming the ATP 250 title at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open, and making it to the ATP Finals semifinals in the previous season.
The 25-year-old Montreal native expressed satisfaction with his season-opening victory, emphasizing the importance of rhythm and performing well under pressure in tennis. Mboko, aged 19, made significant strides in the past season, climbing from outside the top 300 to break into the top 20 rankings. She notably won the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal and closed out 2025 with a five-match winning streak to clinch the Hong Kong Open title.
Canada’s next challenge in the United Cup will be against Belgium in the group stage on Tuesday, with the tournament set to conclude on Jan. 11.