The Canadian teenager looks primed for further success following a monumental rise up the rankings
For those who are not die-hard tennis fans, the name Victoria Mboko may have been unfamiliar this time last year.
The 19-year-old came into the 2025 season ranked 333rd in the world and was battling it out on the ITF circuit. Fast forward to the latter stages of this year and the Canadian currently sits at a career-high ranking of 23rd in the world, a seismic jump up by 310 positions.
Plenty of tennis fans are excited about the up-and-comer and are also eager to see more of her as she navigates the WTA Tour. But how did such a dramatic rise occur?
The obvious place to start is Mboko’s dream triumph in Montreal at the Canadian Open. The teenager clinched her first-ever WTA Tour title by defeating Naomi Osaka in three amazing sets – 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. It was a fitting occasion to claim the title as it occurred in her home nation and against one of her tennis idols.
“I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little, so it’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you,” Mboko said during the trophy presentation.
Given that this was a WTA 1000 grade event, it is easy to see why many are excited about the teenager.
Her victories en route to the title further add to the fan exuberance. Mboko defeated four former Grand Slam champions – Osaka, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Sofia Kenin – with brilliant displays. Her victory against Gauff was in straight sets, and she came back from a set down to see off Rybakina.
As Mboko clinched the title against Osaka, the Montreal crowd could barely contain themselves. With the last Canadian winner being Bianca Andreescu in 2019, the crowd was eager to see another one of their own crowned.
These celebrations were echoed in Toronto, where the ATP version of the Canadian Open was held. This led to major confusion during the men’s final between Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov, as the Toronto crowd suddenly erupted after catching wind of Mboko’s victory over 300 miles away.
“I guess the Canadian player won,” explained chair umpire Fergus Murphy to the puzzled Shelton and Khachanov.
This moment of hilarity showed the strong backing which the emerging Canadian has.
Born in the United States – Charlotte, North Carolina – Mboko was raised in Ontario, Canada, after her family moved north of the border when she was young.
Like so many players on both the WTA and ATP tours, Mboko has African roots. Frances Tiafoe and Felix Auger-Aliassime both have West African ties to Sierra Leone and Togo, respectively, while Mboko’s parents hail from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They made the move to North America before Mboko was born.
Whilst her title win in Montreal launched her further up the rankings, it was her efforts at the start of the year that laid the foundations for a season of success.
Going on a 22-match winning streak, from January through to February, Mboko claimed four ITF titles in a row. She added a fifth crown in Porto, Portugal in March soon after her winning streak came to an end in an instant bounce back. These results propelled her into the top 200 for the first time in her young career and gave her a look at higher-level tournaments.
She was granted a wildcard into the Miami Open where she secured a first-ever tour-level win, defeating Colombian No. 1 Camila Osorio, ranked 54th in the world at the time, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in the first round. Her second-round match saw her take Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa to three sets, but the former world No. 2 came out on top 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(3).
Whilst there is still plenty to play for in 2025, there is lots to look forward to for the Canadian in 2026.
In some ways, her title win in Montreal was perhaps too close to the start of the US Open.
Mboko, who was making her debut in New York, was the 22nd seed but had a tough opening-round match against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova. The debutant, who played the match a day before her 19th birthday, lost in straight sets.
The world No. 23, who already has a 1000 title to her name, is yet to complete a full season on the WTA Tour. However, her results this calendar year have done wonders for her prospects in 2026, where she looks set for further success.
Words by Caleb Akpo-Young