Victoria Mboko and Felix Auger-Aliassime have resumed their strong start in the 2026 tennis season by leading Canada to victory over China in the United Cup mixed teams event. The Canadian duo secured a 3-0 win in the Group B round-robin tie on Sunday.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 5 in the men’s category, defeated Zhang Zhizhen with a score of 6-4, 6-4, while Mboko, ranked 18th in the women’s rankings, made a comeback after losing the first set to beat Lin Zhu 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. The pair then combined forces in the mixed doubles match, triumphing over 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, clinching an ATP 250 title at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels, and making it to the ATP Finals semifinals in the previous season.
The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime expressed satisfaction with his season-opening victory, highlighting the importance of performing well under pressure. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Mboko’s remarkable rise saw her go from being ranked outside the top 300 to breaking into the top 20 in the past season. She notably won the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal and closed out 2025 with a five-match winning streak to secure the Hong Kong Open title.
Canada is set to face Belgium in the next group match on Tuesday as part of the ongoing United Cup tournament, which concludes on January 11.
