Victoria Mboko’s tennis story began in the unlikeliest way. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Congolese parents, her family moved to Toronto when she was just two months old. She picked up a racket by age three or four, inspired by older siblings and raised within a family that understood sacrifice and focus. By 2025, at only 18, she’s not just a rising star, she’s a Canadian powerhouse.

After years of ITF dominance, 2025 was Mboko’s breakout season. She stormed through four ITF titles and a jaw-dropping 33–3 win-loss record, catapulting herself from world No. 333 to inside the Top 100 by March.

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The Run That Stunned the Tennis World

In the heart of Montreal, Mboko started as a wildcard ranked 85th, no one expected what was to come. She crushed Coco Gauff (World No. 2), beat Elena Rybakina (World No. 3), and took down Sofia Kenin before meeting her childhood idol, Naomi Osaka, in the final.

Osaka took the first set 6–2. Then, Mboko flipped the script, winning 6–4 in the second and firing her to a 6–1 victory in the third. Her final display was nothing short of epic: saving multiple break points, landing clutch winners, and causing the crowd to erupt as she fell to her knees in triumph.

At tour’s end, she stood as the second-youngest player ever to defeat four major champions in a single tournament, a feat previously achieved only by Serena Williams in 1999.

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What Makes Mboko So Unstoppable

On court, she plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand. Her game combines a powerful serve, counterpunching backhand, and deft drop shots, tools she credits Tennis Canada and her coaches, including former pro Nathalie Tauziat, for helping her develop.

Her composure under pressure stands out. Even with a wrist injury and a stretch of double-faults, she powered through late in matches—like the final’s pivotal fourth game, featuring six deuces before she dominated with a drop shot winner.

Winning her first WTA title on home soil made it sweeter. Mboko joins a rare club of Canadian champions at the tournament, preceded only by Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019). As a wildcard, she also followed in the footsteps of Maria Sharapova and Andreescu with a WTA 1000 title as her first tour-level win.

Roland-Garros earlier this year saw Mboko make history again as the youngest Canadian to win a match at that level, defeating Eva Lys without dropping a set in qualifiers and moving into the third round via the main draw.

Her early path from ITF titles to Grand Slam breakthroughs speaks to a disciplined athlete with relentless momentum. In 2025 alone, she earned over $1.1 million in prize money and broke into the WTA Top 24 singles ranking in August.

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The Rise of a Canadian Tennis Royalty

Victoria Mboko’s story is electric, not just for what she’s won but how she won it. In Montreal, against all odds, she rewrote the narrative, transforming from a wildcard outsider to a national champion. She’s now a beacon for tennis, Canadian pride, and representation in sport.

Her journey, shaped by Congolese roots, a supportive family, constant confidence, and sheer courage, felt like it was meant to happen.

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