Victoria Mboko breaks new ground in Qatar after Rybakina win

Mboko is the first WTA player to beat more than one top 10 opponent in a single Qatar Open, according to OptaAce.

She got past Mirra Andreeva in a tight three-setter and then backed it up by edging out Rybakina, again in three sets.

After Swiatek was knocked out by Maria Sakkari and with Rybakina also gone, Mboko is now the highest seed left in the tournament.

She’ll face Jelena Ostapenko next. Despite her rise through the rankings, this will be her first time facing Ostapenko on tour.

The draw has opened up nicely for her as well, giving her a genuine shot at picking up a third WTA title inside six months.

Sakkari and Karolina Muchova are set to play on the other side of the semi-final draw, rounding out what’s been an unpredictable tournament so far.

Victoria Mboko has three losses in 2026

Mboko’s start to 2026 has been strong, with over ten wins already on the board, though she hasn’t been unbeatable.

Her first defeat of the year came at the United Cup, where Elise Mertens led Belgium to victory over Canada.

She then lost to Mirra Andreeva in the Adelaide International final, managing only four games in a one-sided match against the Russian.

At the Australian Open, Mboko was knocked out by Aryna Sabalenka in the last 16. After dropping the opening set 6-1, she pushed back harder in the second but still fell short in a tie-break.

The loss to Sabalenka ended her run at this year’s first Grand Slam tournament.