How Did Victoria Mboko Become WTA No. 10? The Full Rise of Congolese-Canadian Tennis’s Newest Star

Victoria Mboko holding the runner-up trophy at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha after her historic Top 10 breakthrough in February 2026. Photo Credit: Victoria Mboko/Instagram

Twelve months ago, Victoria Mboko was ranked No. 333 in the world. Today, she is No. 10. That is not a gradual climb, that is a 19-year-old Congolese-Canadian rewriting everything we thought we knew about how fast a tennis career could move. From four consecutive ITF titles to a wildcard run in Montreal that nobody saw coming, from Hong Kong to Doha, Mboko has been collecting wins and dropping names — Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka — with a calm that makes the whole thing look far easier than it is.

But this isn’t just about the numbers and names; it’s about the dominant, fearless tennis that got her there. Here is exactly how Victoria Mboko conquered the world stage.

The Breakthrough — National Bank Open, Montreal (August 2025)

Mboko’s ascent began in earnest at the National Bank Open in Montreal, where she entered as a wildcard and delivered a giant-killing run that shocked the circuit. The defining moment came in the semi-final against world No. 9 Elena Rybakina — a match that quickly became a classic. Despite being blitzed in the opening set and suffering a potentially serious wrist injury during a hard fall in the second, Mboko dug in mentally, saved a match point in the third set and eventually toppled the 2022 Wimbledon champion in a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) thriller.

She then went on to defeat Naomi Osaka in the final, becoming the first Canadian woman to triumph on home soil since 2019 and the first to win specifically in Montreal. The title catapulted her into the world’s Top 30 and announced, without any room for doubt, that she belonged on the biggest stages in tennis.

Victoria Mboko holding the National Bank Open trophy at IGA Stadium in Montreal after defeating Naomi Osaka in the 2025 final.
Photo Credit: Victoria Mboko/Instagram

The Clay Court Detour — Roland-Garros, Paris (June 2025)

For those who had written her off as a hard court specialist, Roland-Garros was her answer. She fought through three rounds of qualifying and reached the third round of the main draw, where she pushed Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen before bowing out. No trophy, but a Top 100 debut and a point well made.

The Title Defence — Hong Kong Open (November 2025)

She claimed her second WTA title of the year at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, and it did not come easy. She defeated Cristina Bucșa 7-5, 6-7(9), 6-2 in 2 hours and 49 minutes — the longest tour-level final of 2025. She led by a set and 3-0 in the second, held a championship point, and still nearly let it slip before regrouping in the third set and closing it out with nine aces on the day.

After winning the final point, she sank to her knees on the court, then emerged from the dressing room to climb into the stands and share a long embrace with her father. “I like to take things day by day,” she said afterwards. “I’m just really happy I managed to win another title today, keep myself pumped up, and stay positive in the third set, even though I was super tired.”

Victoria Mboko kissing the winner’s trophy on the blue hard court at Victoria Park after winning the 2025 Hong Kong Open.
Photo Credit: Victoria Mboko/Instagram

Breaking New Ground — Adelaide International (January 2026)

The new year opened with an immediate statement. At the Adelaide International on 16th January 2026, Mboko fought her way through the draw to reach her first WTA 500 final, where she faced world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva. She fell to the Russian teenager 6-3, 6-4, but the run itself was significant — the ranking points gained from reaching the final kept her momentum firmly intact and set the tone for everything that followed.

Congolese-Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko proudly holds her runner-up trophy after a hard-fought battle with Mirra Andreeva in the 2026 Adelaide final. Photo Credit: Victoria Mboko

The Final Push — Qatar TotalEnergies Open, Doha (February 2026)

Entering 2026 within touching distance of the Top 10, Doha was where it all came together. She defeated Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals and then dismantled former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals — the win that mathematically guaranteed her Top 10 breakthrough.

She fell to Karolina Muchova in the final, but the mission was already accomplished. The points from that Doha run officially moved her to World No. 10, making her the youngest teenager in the elite bracket today.

Victoria Mboko holding the runner-up trophy at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha after her historic Top 10 breakthrough in February 2026. Photo Credit: Victoria Mboko/Instagram

The Road to No. 10 — Match by Match

• January — February 2025: Won four consecutive ITF Circuit singles titles, going 22 matches without dropping a set
• August 2025 — National Bank Open, Montreal (WTA 1000): Entered as a wildcard, defeated Coco Gauff in the fourth round, Elena Rybakina in the semi-final and Naomi Osaka in the final — only the second wildcard in history to win the tournament. Jumped from No. 85 to No. 24 in the rankings
• November 2025 — Hong Kong Open: Claimed her second WTA title of the year, defeating Cristina Bucșa in the longest tour-level final of 2025
• January 2026 — Adelaide International: Reached her first WTA 500 final
• January 2026 — Australian Open: Posted her best Grand Slam result with a Round of 16 finish
• February 2026 — Qatar TotalEnergies Open, Doha (WTA 1000): Reached the final, falling to Karolina Muchova — the run that pushed her into the Top 10