She’s 19, just a kid by most standards, but boy was Canada’s Victoria Mboko a picture of maturity and poise during the third set of her 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3 win over Clara Tauson on Day 6 of the Australian Open.
Mboko had failed to convert three match points against zoning Tauson late in the second set, but she entered the third unencumbered by the short-term scar tissue that should have been there. Instead she played poised, opportunistic tennis, seizing her opportunities with big serves, cagey net play and down-the-line strikes that befuddled her more experienced opponent.
And when it came time to serve the match point, she did it in style, barely blinking as she booked a spot in the second week of a major for the first time on her Australian Open debut.
“I think it was just self-belief at the end,” Mboko said. “I had so many chances in the second set but I have to give credit where it’s due – [Clara] was playing incredible tennis. I just had to lock in in the important moments.”
How was she able to put the difficult moments of the second set behind her so quickly, especially given that she is making just her fourth Grand Slam appearance?
“When you have those chances and you are up in the match, when you have those opportunities to finish, but don’t take them it can be very discouraging, but that’s why there’s a third set,” she said, “but I was able to regroup, find my groove again, and get it done.”
What an embarrasment of riches the WTA Tour has become. We are not done singing the praises of 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who stormed onto the scene at the age of 16 and already has a major semifinal under her belt, and here comes Mboko, looking like a future star. 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, in action in round three tonight, is another potential superstar.
Mboko, who made a large splash on tour in 2025, reaching the third round on her major debut at Roland-Garros (from qualifying) and capturing her first 1000 title on home soil in Montreal, in addition to winning Hong Kong in the fall, is clearly not a fan of the sophomore slump.
She’ll get the opportunity of a lifetime on Day 8 when she fades two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 16.
