Karolina Muchova couldn't hide her happiness after winning Doha but that didn't stop her from acknowledging and praising Victoria Mboko's strong start to her career.
Muchova, who will turn 30 in August, defeated 10 years younger Mboko 6-4 7-5 in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha. For the Czech veteran, it marked her maiden triumph at the 1000-category level.
After becoming a WTA champion in Seoul in 2019, Muchova multiple times came close to triumphing at the Grand Slam and WTA 1000 level, but every time fell short – she lost the 2023 French Open final, as well as the finals in 2023 Cincinnati and 2024 Beijing.
However, on Saturday, the Czech tennis star didn't allow another WTA 1000 title slip away from her.
On the other side, Mboko remains on two titles. If you can recall, the Canadian sensationally won the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal last summer just before her 19th birthday. She also triumphed in Hong Kong in late 2025.
Mboko, who was ranked outside the top-300 at the start of 2025, will reach a career-high ranking on Monday and sit at No. 10 in the world.
Muchova to Mboko: You play incredible and with so much maturity… Many titles are ahead of you
“It’s been a while since I won a tournament. It’s just nice to get that feeling again and to be reminded of that victory feeling here in Doha. It’s incredible. Thank you very much," the 29-year-old said during her trophy speech.
"I’d like to congratulate Victoria. You’re still a teenager if I’m not mistaken. You play with so much maturity and you play incredible. It’s been an incredible week for you. Congratulations. I’m sure you have many titles ahead of you. Wherever your team is, congrats guys and good luck the rest of the season."
Muchova will hope to continue her strong form at the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai, where she meets Moyuka Uchijima in the first round.
