In-form Felix Auger-Aliassime believes he can challenge at the Australian Open after his best year on tour, with the Canadian gun closing the gap on leading duo Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The 25-year-old will headline Canada's push at the United Cup, with teenage champion Victoria Mboko making her debut when the tournament gets underway in Sydney and Perth this week.
Auger-Aliassime made the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park in 2022 which was his best-ever result, but was a surprise elimination in the second round in 2025 after winning the Adelaide International.
It kicked off a lean run at the majors, also falling in the first round of the French Open and round two at Wimbledon with his ranking just inside world No.30.
But Auger-Aliassime's year turned around after he steered Canada to the Hopman Cup title in July, and from there he won 24 of 31 matches, including a semi-final appearance at the US Open.
It was his second start in the final four of a major, also making the semis at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
"It was great - I've had good results in other tournaments but maybe not as much in big events such as the grand slam so it was good to be back in the US Open semi-finals," he told reporters in Sydney.
"I have great memories playing in Australia in the past and remember a couple of years ago making a quarter-final run here and feeling like I was close to my best level.
"So hopefully I can go even further this year."
Of the seven matches Auger-Aliassime lost in that stretch, five came against Alcaraz and two-time Australian Open winner Sinner, who he pushed to four sets at the US Open.
The newly-wed said his recent run of results had boosted his confidence.
"I've had my best year in my career so far in 2025 ... looking back on this year, it was an amazing year with great milestones and I'm looking to keep going in 2026.
"It's going to take everything out of me (to win the Open).
"Obviously, I'm a powerful player and I like to play an aggressive game, come forward, and I'm going to need for that to work really well, to serve really well.
"But at the same time, to be able to do all the other things that need to be done with a level of consistency that's really high."
Mboko is ranked world No.18, surging up the rankings after winning the Canadian Open, which included wins over Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka en route to her first WTA 1000 title.
The North Americans will open their campaign against China on January 4, facing Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen, before tackling Belgian duo Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs two days later.
