Mboko’s Rally Powers Canada in United Cup Opener
From a shaky start to total command, Victoria Mboko flipped the script on Lin Zhu, handing Canada an early edge in the 2026 United Cup while Felix Auger-Aliassime eyes the clincher.
On Sydney’s hardcourts, where the Plexicushion surface demands quick adjustments, Victoria Mboko arrived for her United Cup debut carrying the momentum of a breakout 2025. The 19-year-old Canadian, who rocketed from outside the top 300 to the top 20, met China’s Lin Zhu in a matchup laced with history—Zhu’s lone prior win over her hanging like a shadow. What unfolded was a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 reversal, Mboko’s resilience turning early nerves into a 1-0 lead for Canada in Group B on January 4, 2026.
Early stumble yields to steady fire
Zhu wasted no time, her flat crosscourt shots pinning Mboko deep as the 31-year-old seized the first four games and the set 6-2. Mboko’s heavy topspin forehand, a staple of her rise, faltered under the pressure, veering wide amid the crowd’s growing hum. Yet as the Canadian regrouped, her footwork sharpened, eyes locking on the baseline to mirror Zhu’s aggression in the second set.
She fired back with her own four-game surge, using deep looping returns to stretch rallies and force Zhu into errors on the moderate bounce. The set leveled at 6-2, Mboko’s one–two patterns—serve followed by inside-out forehand—starting to click, the air in Ken Rosewall Arena thickening with her building tempo. This pivot wasn’t just recovery; it exposed Zhu’s flatter game skidding less effectively in longer exchanges.
Decider dominance cements the streak
In the third, Mboko owned every point, her low-error serves and down-the-line passes leaving Zhu without a foothold in the 6-0 bagel. The match clocked 1 hour, 39 minutes, a clinic that extended her WTA Tour winning run to six straight after closing 2025 with five victories and her second title in Hong Kong.
The thing about time is it changes pic.twitter.com/TMuKdtjeNO
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 4, 2026
This United Cup breakthrough highlighted Mboko’s evolution, her slice backhands now disrupting rhythms with the poise of someone who’s bridged rankings chasms on hard courts from Perth to New York. The crowd’s cheers swelled as she sealed it, her composure a quiet statement amid the team event’s intensity.
Auger-Aliassime faces tie-sealing test
Canada’s advantage now rests on Felix Auger-Aliassime against Zhizhen Zhang, with China—fresh from beating Belgium—needing a win to claim Group B and the quarterfinal spot. Auger-Aliassime’s explosive serve and net rushes could echo Mboko’s grit, turning the tie into a sweep on this pacey surface. As Sydney’s buzz lingers, her rally sets a tone of unbreakable momentum for the Canadians.
