Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada maintained his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals with a determined first-round victory over Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana at the Rolex Paris Masters 2025 held in Nanterre, France. After dropping the first set 6-7 (2), Auger-Aliassime rallied to secure the match 6-3, 6-3.
In a busy day of first-round action, fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo also celebrated success, defeating the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor with a score of 6-3, 6-4. However, Richmond Hill’s Denis Shapovalov faced defeat as he succumbed to Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, losing 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. This loss marked Fonseca’s second consecutive win against Shapovalov, further complicating the Canadian’s path in the tournament.
Auger-Aliassime’s victory at the Paris Masters significantly benefits his standing, reducing the gap to eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race to Turin to just 440 points. The top eight players qualify for the prestigious end-of-year event in Italy. Auger-Aliassime, who is seeded ninth in Paris, aims to build on his recent momentum after winning an ATP 250 event in Belgium, although he missed points last week due to a retirement in Basel due to a sore back. He is set to face France’s Alexandre Muller in his next match.
Meanwhile, Diallo’s impressive performance against Griekspoor was notable, considering their previous encounters this year, where Griekspoor had claimed victory twice. The six-foot-eight player, now ranked 42nd globally, is set to challenge sixth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia in the next round.
In Hong Kong, Canadian tennis continued to shine, as Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez both advanced to the second round of the Hong Kong Open. Mboko, the third seed, displayed resilience by coming back from a set down to overcome Australia’s Talia Gibson, winning 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 in just under two hours. The 19-year-old from Toronto previously claimed the National Bank Open title in Montreal and will face either Britain’s Katie Boulter or Alexandra Eala of the Philippines next.
Fernandez, seeded second, had a more straightforward match, defeating Wang Xiyu of China with a score of 6-1, 6-4, and is set to take on Germany’s Eva Lys in the following round.
Both Auger-Aliassime and his fellow Canadians are demonstrating strong performances as they aim for success in their respective tournaments, showcasing the growing talent and competitive spirit of Canadian tennis on the international stage.