World No.3 Coco Gauff picked up right where she left off last season by defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 6-2 to open Team USA’s campaign in Group A at the United Cup in Perth. In the first career meeting between the two young stars, the WTA Finals champion unleashed her power and speed to secure a physical win. 

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“Leylah played a great match,” Gauff said on court. “I knew going in it was going to be a tough match. Super happy with how I played and happy to get a point on the board for my team.”

Canada responded with an epic comeback by Felix Auger-Aliassime. Trailing a set and a break, the 24-year-old came up with some mainline tennis to sink Taylor Fritz 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and send the tie to a live mixed doubles rubber. Having been unable to break Fritz’s serve in the seven sets they had contested going into the second, Auger-Aliassime struck twice in two games from 4-5 down to spark life into the crowd inside RAC Arena. 

Auger-Aliassime will now team up with Leylah Fernandez in a bid to seal a momentous victory for Canada. If they can beat Fritz and Gauff, they will qualify for the quarter-finals. 

Champions in the inaugural United Cup two years ago, the Americans are bidding to become the first country to win the team competition twice. 

Gauff’s court coverage, counterpunching, and growing confidence in her baseline power game proved too much for the similarly offensive-minded Fernandez. The 31st-ranked Canadian opened her United Cup with an upset win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic on Day 1.

After a pair of lengthy service games to open the duel, Gauff broke open the match with a break of serve to lead 2-1. With Gauff serving at 3-2, Fernandez earned her first break chances to level the set. But facing down a 15-40 deficit, Gauff unleashed an outrageous display of speed to wipe away the Canadian’s hope of a comeback and went on to confidently close out the set, aided by a 92 percent (11 of 12) win percentage behind her first serve.

Gauff continued her march to lead 3-0 in the second set and protected her lead to seal the win after 1 hour and 36 minutes. She was unbroken on the night, losing just four points behind her first serve (27 of 31) and saving the two break points she faced. 

Fritz showed little sign of rust in the opening set of his 2025 campaign as he snatched an early break over Auger-Aliassime before racing into the lead. The reigning US Open and Nitto ATP Finals runner-up appeared to be closing in on the tie when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Auger-Aliassime found a last-gasp burst of energy to spark hopes of a comeback. 

“It was a crazy night of tennis so far, it’s not over,” said Auger-Aliassime, referring to the deciding mixed doubles to come.

“I started slow in my first service game but after that it was a really high level, from Taylor as well. It was just a matter of finding ways tactically, changing my positions on the return. I decided to step in closer and dictate from the first shot and it worked perfectly. From that point on the match turned in my favor.”

The Canadian, who had failed to break Fritz’s serve in the seven prior sets they contested, struck twice in two games to stun the American. Fueling life into the crowd inside RAC Arena, Auger-Aliassime ignited some of the scintillating tennis that propelled him to World No.6 in 2022. His 2-hour, 17-minute win thoroughly contrasted his opening-round clash, where he fell to Borna Coric after leading by a set and 4-2.