Alberta Juniors Shine at Outdoor Nationals as Mao and Xiang Claim Singles Titles, Cheruvallath Reaches Final

Feature Image: U16 Team Alberta led by coaches Yurii Kushnir and Marin Cens

Fischer Junior Nationals. Where legends of the game are born.

Alberta juniors wrapped up a strong month of national competition, bringing home two singles titles and a finalist finish from the 2026 Fischer Outdoor Junior National Championships. 26 athletes and six provincial coaches (along with an entourage of supporters) travelled to Ontario and Quebec to compete against their peers.

We’d like to thank and congratulate each and every player, every coach, every parent, and every supporter, however large or small, who helped these athletes live out their tennis dreams.

Zoe Mao — U12 Girls Singles Champion (Laval, QC)

Zoe dominated in her preliminary, round robin stage matchups and entered the Championship Flight as the No. 1 seed. And against the country’s top competition, she didn’t miss a beat. A 6-3, 6-3 scoreline was the closest any opponent came to stopping her all week. Zoe clinched the national title in commanding style, defeating her Ontario opponent 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

“Winning Nationals means so much to me. I’m really thankful for my family, coaches, and teammates who believed in and supported me.” – Zoe Mao

Zimo Xiang: U14 Girls Singles Champion (Laval, QC)

Like Zoe the week before, Zimo dominated the early competition to earn her way into the Championship Flight. And while unseeded, she played like the tournament favourite. Cruising through match after match against the country’s best, she capped off her dominant run with a 6-0, 6-3 victory in the final.

Zimo’s championship in Laval followed an impressive run the week earlier at U16 Nationals in Toronto, where she played up an age division, reached the quarterfinals, and pushed the tournament’s No. 1 seed (and eventual winner) to a tight 3-6, 5-7 battle.

Reflecting on her summer and what the sport means to her, Zimo shared:

“I love tennis. It’s taught me to work hard and stay strong. Like so many girls who love this sport, tennis has given me confidence, courage, friendships, and so much joy.” – Zimo Xiang

Ezekiel Cheruvallath — U14 Boys Singles Finalist (Laval, QC)

Ezekiel fought through preliminary matches, which included a three-set bout against one of the tournament’s top seeds to earn his spot in the Championship Flight. From there, he eliminated the No. 4 seed in the Round of 16 and rallied past the No. 2 seed in the semifinals to reach the final. And though he fell to BC’s Liam Suh in the final, it was a standout week of tennis.

Proudly Representing Alberta

Thank you to all the players and coaches who represented Alberta across this summer’s national events. It is no small commitment to compete at this level. Regardless of the on-court results, the memories and friendships made will last a lifetime.

U12 Team

• Coaches: Jordan Sluchinski, Alec Morariu
• Girls: Zoe Mao, Emmanuella Ibrahim, Anica Yachun Liu, Alice Ren
• Boys: Smith Lewsaw, Juan Antonio Gomez-Dos Santos, Isaac Jomha, Austin Huang

U14 Team

• Coaches: Josh Sundwall, Marc Colangeli
• Girls: Kendra Zhang, Zimo Xiang, Vera Wing, Lourdes Haun, Zoe Mao
• Boys: Ezekiel Cheruvallath, Kingston Ireland, Nicolas Garcia, Egor Dobrovolsky, Vlad Lupu

U16 Team

• Coaches: Yurii Kushnir, Marin Cens
• Girls: Zimo Xiang, Flora Zhang, Ruxleigh Bayasen, Polina Babkina
• Boys: Timofey Dobrovolsky, Ezekiel Cheruvallath, Daniel Danesh Pour, Matthew Hall

U18 Team

• Athletes: Ilia Dobrovolsky, Timofey Dobrovolsky, Morgan Lee, Zoey Zhao