Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime defends Montpellier title

By Canadian Press on February 8, 2026.

MONTPELLIER — Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime defended his Open Occitanie title with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over France’s Adrian Mannarino in Sunday’s final.

Auger-Aliassime scored five straight points to take the third set tiebreak, including his 13th ace of the match to go up 5-4 before winning the next two points on return.

The six-foot-four Canadian’s serve was in top form, as he won 87 per cent of first-serve points.

It’s the ninth title for the 25-year-old from Montreal, who entered the tournament as the top seed and ranked eighth in the world.

Auger-Aliassime improved to 2-1 against Mannarino, who entered the tournament as a wild card.

Mannarino reached a career-high ranking of No. 17 early in 2024 before a slump in form saw him drop out of the top 100. He was ranked 70th heading into this tournament.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2026.

The Canadian Press