Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko showcases her rising star power and potential to break into the WTA top 10 with win over Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.
IMAGE: Canada’s Victoria Mboko celebrates victory over Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the Qatar Open quarter-finals, at the International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, on Thursday. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Key Points
- Mboko’s victory marks a significant step towards potentially entering the WTA top 10 rankings.
- Mboko will face Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals, a win guaranteeing her top 10 debut.
- Mboko emphasizes the importance of raising her level against higher-profile players like Rybakina.
Victoria Mboko took a big step towards entering the top 10 in the WTA rankings for the first time after the Canadian teenager stunned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the Qatar Open quarter-finals.
The 19-year-old battled to a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win in Thursday’s quarter-final in Doha to snap twice Grand Slam champion Rybakina’s nine-match winning run.
IMAGE: Victoria Mboko and Elena Rybakina meet at the net after the quarter-final. Photograph: Ibraheem Al Omari/Reuters
“Going into the match I knew it was going to be a really hard battle and I wanted to stay calm,” said Mboko, who picked up her second victory over Rybakina in four meetings.
“I didn’t really have that many expectations because she has a great record now, she just won the Australian Open. Going into the match I knew I had to play my ‘A’ game.
“I do understand that the higher profile players you play, you’re going to have to raise your level.”
Mboko started the 2025 season ranked outside the top 300 and is now 13th. She became the youngest player since Serena Williams to beat four major winners in a tournament en route to claiming last year’s Canadian Open in Montreal.
Mboko’s semi-final match-up
IMAGE: Victoria Mboko makes a cross-court return to Elena Rybakina during the quarter-final. Photograph: Ibraheem Al Omari/Reuters
Mboko plays former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals later on Friday, where a win will confirm her top 10 debut on Monday.
“I’m expecting another hard battle,” Mboko said.
“She knows these courts well and knows the environment. It’ll be important to put up a fight.”
Karolina Muchova takes on Maria Sakkari in the other last-four match-up.
