Felix hoping to start 2026 with a bang at Aus Open

[ad_1] In-form Felix Auger-Aliassime believes he can problem on the Australian Open after his greatest 12 months on tour, with the Canadian gun closing the hole on main duo Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

The 25-year-old will headline Canada's push on the United Cup, with teenage champion Victoria Mboko making her debut when the event will get underway in Sydney and Perth this week.

Auger-Aliassime made the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park in 2022 which was his best-ever outcome, however was a shock elimination within the second spherical in 2025 after successful the Adelaide Worldwide.

It kicked off a lean run on the majors, additionally falling within the first spherical of the French Open and spherical two at Wimbledon together with his rating simply inside world quantity 30.

However Auger-Aliassime's 12 months rotated after he steered Canada to the Hopman Cup title in July, and from there he received 24 of 31 matches, together with a semifinal look on the US Open.

Felix Auger-Aliassime says he is aware of he wants to enhance to genuinely problem Carlos Alcaraz. ( Getty Photographs: NurPhoto/Miguel Reis )

It was his second begin within the last 4 of a serious, additionally making the semis at Flushing Meadows in 2021.

"It was nice — I've had good leads to different tournaments however possibly not as a lot in huge occasions such because the grand slam so it was good to be again within the US Open semifinals," he advised reporters in Sydney.

"I've nice reminiscences enjoying in Australia prior to now and bear in mind a few years in the past making a quarterfinal run right here and feeling like I used to be near my greatest degree.

"So hopefully I can go even additional this 12 months."

Of the seven matches Auger-Aliassime misplaced in that stretch, 5 got here in opposition to Alcaraz and two-time Australian Open winner Sinner, who he pushed to 4 units on the US Open.

The newly-wed stated his current run of outcomes had boosted his confidence.

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"I've had my greatest 12 months in my profession up to now in 2025 … trying again on this 12 months, it was an incredible 12 months with nice milestones and I am trying to maintain getting into 2026.

"It'll take every little thing out of me [to win the Open].

"Clearly, I am a robust participant and I wish to play an aggressive sport, come ahead, and I'll want for that to work rather well, to serve rather well.

"However on the similar time, to have the ability to do all the opposite issues that must be carried out with a degree of consistency that is actually excessive."

Mboko is ranked world quantity 18, surging up the rankings after successful the Canadian Open, which included wins over Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka en path to her first WTA 1000 title.

The Canadians will open their marketing campaign in opposition to China on January 4, dealing with Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen, earlier than tackling Belgian duo Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs two days later.