United Cup: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko impress in commanding whitewash victory over China

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko excelled on the court as they began Canada's 2026 United Cup venture with a resounding 3-0 win over China.

It is exciting times for Canadian tennis, with these two players at the forefront of it. Auger-Aliassime seems to be getting back to his best, and that shows with some incredible results at the end of 2025, moving him up to world number five. This time last year, Mboko was outside the top 300 in the world, but she is now one of the brightest talents on the WTA Tour with two titles, including the Canadian Open.

The progress made in 2025 she made sees her have the prestigious honour of making her debut in the United Cup for her country. The 19-year-old did not disappoint, coming from a set deficit to defeat Lin Zhu 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

It was a concerning start for the teenage prodigy, falling 4-0 behind to the world number 168. It was a disadvantage even she could not claw back, with Zhu taking her first set point to give China a much-needed advantage.

Canada were the firm favourites in this tie, and would have hoped to make a statement to the rest of the tournament outlying their ambitious intentions. Mboko certainly did that in the rest of her opening match. She raced into a 4-0 lead of her own before Zhu clinched one of the breaks back. It was feeble in the end, with Mboko claiming the final two games to wrap up the set. She then stormed to victory, dropping just six points in a rampant conclusion to what was a slightly precarious position she found herself in.

In a much more closely contested matchup, Auger-Aliassime used his experience to fend off Zhizhen Zhang 6-4, 6-4 to confirm the victory for Canada in Group B.

The world number 410 picked up a huge upset win against Zizou Bergs the day before, with China going on to defeat the Belgium team. He was looking to do the same today but it would be a tall order against one of the inform players in the world. 

The 25-year-old came out of the blocks the quicker, going 2-0 ahead. That break to love in the first game was enough for Auger-Aliassime to win the first set, as both players held their serve for the rest of the set. A similar pattern emerged in the second set. It took three games for the two-time US Open semi-finalist to take authority in the set, with just nine points won against the serve in that set. It favoured Auger-Aliassime, who won eight points in a row on his serve to sew up victory.

“I can be very pleased with this first match of the year,” Auger-Aliassime said after the match. “Tennis is about rhythm, playing important points under pressure, so you never know what to expect. I woke up this morning hoping for the best, and then I played some of my best tennis.”

The pair then returned to the court for a doubles clash against Te Rigele and Xiaodi You. It proved to be a lethal partnership, with the Canadians winning 6-1, 6-3. 

After a dominant first set, they looked to repeat the trick in the second set. However, the Chinese duo were not going to let them go as easy. They broke back, trying to make a game of it but in the end they were no match for Mboko and Auger-Aliassime. They clinched a late break before closing out the tie on serve.

It is the dream start for Auger-Aliassime and Mboko, who will be straight back into action in Sydney on January 6, affording them one day rest before their clash against Belgium. A win for Canada will see them sail into the knockout phase with flying colours.