Canadian tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime expressed motivation drawn from his nation’s recent success in the FIFA World Cup as he continues his campaign at Wimbledon. The 25-year-old, seeded third, advanced to the second round with a straight-sets victory over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko on Tuesday.

Auger-Aliassime, who reached the quarter-finals at the French Open earlier this year and is a two-time US Open semi-finalist, highlighted Canada’s landmark progress in football as a source of inspiration. Canada secured a dramatic victory over South Africa on Sunday, with Stephen Eustaquio scoring a stoppage-time winner that propelled coach Jesse Marsch’s team into the tournament’s last 16.

“For us, in Canada, it’s really historic,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s a beautiful thing, because growing up, I had to find a team to support and it was a shame I didn’t have [a very good] home country to support. But now it’s different. We actually have a solid team.”

The tennis tournament at Wimbledon also saw the early exits of some prominent seeds. Casper Ruud, a top-ranked player, was the first major seed to be eliminated after losing in straight sets to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. Meanwhile, 12th seed Andrey Rublev was defeated in a five-set match by fellow Russian Roman Safiullin.

Auger-Aliassime’s steady start and expressed optimism reflect his aspiration to carry forward Canada’s emerging sports momentum, aiming to capture a maiden Grand Slam title during this prestigious grass-court event.