Mboko thrives in the limelight during her career milestone under NBO's focus
Victoria Mboko, an 18-year-old tennis player from Toronto, is making waves in the tennis world as the last remaining Canadian in the National Bank Open tournament. Mboko's impressive season record of 50-9 across all competitions, including a stretch of 22 consecutive match wins at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Challenger tour level, has propelled her to the forefront of Canadian tennis.
Mboko's rapid rise in tennis began in 2025, marked by significant breakthroughs and historic achievements. She reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal at the Montreal tournament, becoming the youngest semifinalist there in a decade and the first Canadian to do so in Quebec's staging of the event. Her performance included upset wins over notable opponents such as Coco Gauff, propelling her up the rankings from outside the top 300 at the start of the year to at least 34th as of early August 2025.
This year alone, Mboko has won five titles on the ITF circuit, contributing to a career total of 10 ITF titles (eight singles, two doubles). She broke into the WTA Top 100 in June 2025 and has continued to climb quickly since. With her accomplishments, she has added a milestone to Canadian tennis history while establishing herself as an emerging star on the professional tour.
Mboko was born in Charlotte, N.C., but moved to Canada at a young age. She spent almost the entirety of 2024 training at the Justine Henin Academy in Belgium. Since then, she has skyrocketed her way up to 85th in the world rankings.
Mboko qualified for both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, reaching the third and second rounds, respectively. Her most notable win came recently when she defeated world No. 2 and tournament top seed Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 in a match that lasted 62 minutes. This victory has boosted Mboko's confidence, according to Guillaume Marx, Tennis Canada's vice-president of high performance.
However, Marx warns that Monday's match against Spain's Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, the world's No. 51-ranked player, may prove to be a trap for Mboko. If Mboko wins her next match, she would receive a Special Exemption directly into the main draw of the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. If she loses, she would have to compete in the tournament's two-round qualifying draw.
Mboko is already assured a spot in the main draw of the U.S. Open, marking her first direct entry into a Grand Slam tournament in her career. Mboko recently reached out to Tennis Canada last November about the possibility of training full-time in Canada.
Madison Keys, another tennis player, noted that a big win like Mboko's can add pressure but also presents opportunities for future success. Keys' sentiment was echoed by Marx, who believes Mboko's win over Gauff has significantly boosted her confidence.
The Canadian Press report on Mboko's performance was first published on August 3, 2025, and was written by Jordan Stoopler. With her young age and impressive accomplishments, Mboko is already positioning herself as a potential influential figure in Canadian and women's tennis, inspiring more attention to young talents and possibly shaping the future competitive landscape of the sport.
Mboko's impending match against Spain's Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro could serve as abenchmark for her future performances in sports, especially in tennis. A victory would grant her direct entry into the Cincinnati WTA 1000 event's main draw, offering a chance to further showcase her skills in professional tournaments.
Inspired by Mboko's recent upset win over Coco Gauff, other players like Madison Keys have recognized the potential for increased pressure but also immense opportunities for continued success that come with significant wins.
