'Winning a Grand Slam or becoming World No.1 would always be a huge blessing' - Rising tennis star Victoria Mboko on her career aspirations

After her breakthrough performance at the 2025 Canadian Open, tennis star Victoria Mboko found herself thrust into the spotlight. However, the teenager has remained humble despite her newfound popularity, and hopes to make the most of her time on the WTA Tour.

Ranked outside the top 50, Mboko toppled former Grand Sla champions en route to the final in Montreal. Facing a resurgent Naomi Osaka, the Canadian rallied from a set down to defeat the four-time Grand Slam titlist in three thrilling sets, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Mboko's rise has been nothing short of meteoric, as she was ranked outside the top 300 at the start of the year. However, her improved play and dedication have seen her climb to a career-high ranking of World No.23.

The teenager's popularity has not gone unnoticed. Aside from new endorsements, Mboko was also featured o the cover of the lates Rolling Stone Africa Magazine. Mboko's parents are natives of the Democratic Republic of Congo, having moved to Canada in search if a better life for their family.

Attaining the top ranking is a long-term goal, admits Mboko

In her interview with Rolling Stone Africa, Mboko revealed her goals of someday adding a Grand Slam title to her resume. Furthermore, the 18-year old stated she would like to climb to the top of the WTA rankings, and cement herself as the best player in the world.

"There are so many milestones I hope to achieve," said Mboko. "Winning a Grand Slam or becoming world number one would always be a huge blessing, but I know there’s a process to reaching those goals, and sometimes you never know how early opportunities might come. Every day, I focus on improving, both on and off the court. Ultimately, I think it’s important to dream big, and hopefully one day winning a Grand Slam will be part of that journey."

Regarding her rapid rise to superstardom, Mboko stated she was ready to adapt her mindset moving forward as she is now viewed as a threat at every tournament.

"Yes, so when I started this year, I was around 300 in the world," recalled the teenager. "So to see where I am now in the top 30 is really incredible. I would have never expected that. I mean, going forward, I never really put expectations on myself because just like how I never knew that was going to happen, you never know the future. But of course, I want to keep growing as an athlete and a person.
"So I’m adapting to many quick changes. I mean I have to change a little bit faster my mentality and going into tournaments everyone is going to be really good there’s not one free ride in a match so you kind of have to step up your game physically and mentally."