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Victoria Mboko 2025 Season Recap

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Ilemona Onekutu | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Few stories defined the 2025 WTA season quite like Victoria Mboko’s meteoric rise. The 19-year-old from Toronto began the year ranked outside the top 200 and finishes it as Canada’s No. 1 and world No. 18, a leap powered by two WTA titles, five ITF crowns, and her first deep run at the majors. With a 22–10 record across 12 WTA events and more than $1.195 million in prize money, Mboko didn’t just announce herself; she stamped her arrival with conviction.

A Blistering Start: ITF Rampage Sets the Tone

Mboko opened the year in unstoppable form, tearing through the ITF circuit with a 22-match winning streak, all in straight sets, and five titles in her first six events. Her victories included W35 Le Lamentin and Petit-Bourg (both over Clervie Ngounoue), W75 Rome (Georgia, USA), W35 Manchester, and W75 Porto.

The run marked a Canadian women’s record with 20 consecutive ITF main-draw wins since 1994 and lifted her into the top 200 for the first time at No. 156 by March 31. By early May, she owned a 33–3 record, showcasing an increasingly complete game built on heavy baseline pressure and a penetrating two-handed backhand.

Qualifying Magic in Rome and Paris

The shift to clay only amplified her momentum. At the Italian Open, she qualified and advanced to the second round, falling to world No. 2 Coco Gauff in a gripping three-setter—the first of several measuring-stick matches against the elite.

At Roland Garros, Mboko produced her finest major showing yet. She stormed through qualifying, then secured her first two Grand Slam victories over Lulu Sun and Eva Lys. Her third-round clash with Qinwen Zheng ended in a valiant defeat but highlighted her increasing ease on the grandest stages.

Grass and Home Soil Heroics

Wimbledon brought mixed fortunes: a lucky loser berth followed by a run to the second round before Hailey Baptiste ended her week. But everything changed when the North American swing began.

In Montreal, Mboko produced the signature moment of her season. A wildcard ranked No. 85, she shocked top seed Gauff in straight sets, saved a match point to defeat Elena Rybakina, and became the youngest semifinalist at the event since 2015. In the final, she rallied past Naomi Osaka 2–6, 6–4, 6–1 to secure her maiden WTA title and become just the third Canadian woman to win the tournament.

“It was an incredible week… it has changed a lot of stuff in my life,” she said afterward. The title vaulted her into the world’s top 25. mont

The US Open brought a brief stumble with a first-round exit, but Mboko responded with resilience in Asia, reaching the second round in Beijing before heading into her final flourish.

Closing out Strong and Sealing the Breakthrough

Mboko closed her season with another statement at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. Seeded No. 3, she outlasted Cristina Bucsa 5–7, 7–6, 6–2 in a gripping 2-hour, 49-minute battle, the longest WTA final of 2025, to lift her second title. The victory sealed her top-20 debut on November 3 and softened the sting of an earlier WTA 125 final loss in Parma.

She also delivered for Canada in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying, defeating Miriam Bulgaru in her opening singles rubber.

Looking Ahead: Top 10 Beckons?

Mboko’s campaign wasn’t without its dips — early Asian exits and a flat Wimbledon run among them — but the highs far outweighed the lows. A top-10 win, a historic ITF streak, and a home-soil WTA 1000 title paint the picture of a teenager accelerating faster than even optimistic projections suggested.

Skipping the Australian Open kept her schedule light this year. With a full season ahead, deeper Slam runs and a push toward the top 10 feel more like when than if.

Victoria Mboko didn’t just break out in 2025; she changed the face of Canadian tennis. As the tour heads into 2026, all eyes are on what comes next.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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