Even with the holiday season in full swing, the start of the new tennis calendar has left little room for celebrations. Canadians Leylah Fernandez and her compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime were forced to cut short their holidays, as they were recently spotted traveling to Australia ahead of the 2026 season, spending Christmas on the move. However, despite the travel rush, both players still took time to share heartfelt messages with their fans online.
Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime Traveled to Australia During the Holiday Season To Kick Off Their 2026 Campaigns
It would not be wrong to say that both youngsters enjoyed solid campaigns in 2025. Fernandez finished the season with a 34–25 win–loss record and earned over $1.6 million, reflecting her steady progress. Titles at the Mubadala Citi DC Open and the Kinoshita Group Japan Open during the Asian swing stood out as key highlights, and she ended the year ranked world No. 22.
Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, enjoyed a standout 2025 season, finishing at a career-high world No. 5. The Canadian posted an impressive 50–24 win–loss record and earned over $5.8 million in prize money. He also captured three titles at the Adelaide International, Open Occitanie, and the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
Both players will now be keen to make a mark in the upcoming season. To kick-start their campaigns, they had to cut their holidays short and head to Australia. Auger-Aliassime, however, still found time to celebrate Christmas with his wife, Nina Ghaibi, sharing a series of festive pictures and a clip of himself on a flight to Australia, where he enjoyed a song along the way.
“Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the sky 🎄✈️ 🇦🇺 Recharged with good family time and ready to get going in Australia 🙏🏽,” he wrote in the captions.
He also shared the clip on his Instagram story and wrote, “Merry Christmas from the sky.”
Fernandez, meanwhile, shared a heartfelt message through a clip on her Instagram story, wishing her fans a Merry Christmas and expressing gratitude for their unwavering support throughout 2025.
“Hi everyone, I just wanna wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy Holidays. Hope you all had a great time today. I am currently at the airport on my way to Brisbane, but I just want to thank you all for the support and the love this year and I’ll see you next year. Bye!” She said.
In fact, she also added a caption in her post that read, “Merry Christmas to all! I’m headed to Australia today and I can’t wait to get the season started.”
The anticipation for the 2026 season is high, and it remains to be seen whether both Canadians can replicate the consistency they displayed in the previous season. The 2026 season will kick off with major events across Australian cities, including Brisbane and Adelaide, culminating in the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open.
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