Teen Tennis Star Victoria Mboko Shines at National Bank Open

Montreal, Canada — Victoria Mboko is making waves at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. The 18-year-old tennis player reached the third round after a late-night victory against Sofia Kenin on Tuesday. She is set to face Maria Bouzkova on Thursday, and regardless of the match’s outcome, Mboko is assured of climbing into the Top 70 in the world rankings.

Mboko, who was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom play tennis. Her older sister Gracia and brother Kevin have both competed at the college level in the U.S. The family relocated to Toronto, where they trained in Burlington with Pierre Lamarche, a former Canadian Davis Cup captain. Mboko further developed her skills at Justine Henin‘s tennis academy in Belgium.

Mboko’s parents, Cyprien and Godee, immigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cyprien ignited the family’s passion for tennis. “I have been watching tennis since I was very young,” he said. “Tennis was good exercise for our children, but I must have bought about 1,000 balls from Walmart and they all seemed to end up in the bushes.”

Early success at the junior level came quickly for Mboko. She reached the U14 final at the renowned Orange Bowl as a 12-year-old in 2018. In 2022, she made semi-final appearances in junior divisions at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, where she faced Alexandra Eala. Her doubles performance was equally impressive; she reached finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon with fellow Canadian Kayla Cross.

Despite her youth, Mboko has faced injury challenges, particularly with her knees. In an interview with tennis journalist Carole Bouchard, she opened up about the impact of these injuries on her training routine. “It made me realize the importance of looking after my body a little bit more,” she said. “I learned to spend extra time warming up and stretching, and how to recover properly.”

In 2025, when in good health, Mboko showcased her talent with a remarkable 22-match winning streak, capturing four consecutive lower-level titles without dropping a set. After the streak ended in February, she quickly won her next tournament. She made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open, reaching the third round and also winning a match at Wimbledon as a lucky loser.

This week marks Mboko’s first participation in the main draw at the National Bank Open, a significant milestone in her career. In her previous visit in 2022, she lost in the opening qualifying round to Claire Liu. Facing Bouzkova for the first time could be another turning point as she looks to continue her upward trajectory.