Victoria Mboko says she likes to "keep things really calm" even during adversity and that's her secret to going from a multiple losing streak to winning her second WTA title.
In late July and early August, Mboko made all the headlines when she won the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal as an 85th-ranked home wildcard. En route to winning her home tournament, the rising Canadian star upset four Grand Slam champions – Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka.
But shortly after winning her maiden WTA title in an emphatic way and celebrating her 19th birthday, Mboko hit a rough patch, losing her opening matches at the US Open, Beijing, Wuhan and Ningbo. In Tokyo, the Canadian managed to end her losing streak by reaching the quarterfinal.
After winning just two of her last six matches played, Mboko went a perfect 5-of-5 at the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong last week to lift her second title. She defeated a couple of notable names, such as Leylah Fernandez, Anna Kalinskaya and Alexandra Eala.
Mboko: I like to keep things really calm
"I understand when you win a tournament there is a little bit of pressure to do it again. I like to keep things really calm and not put expectation on myself. There are so many talented players who you can beat or can beat you on any given day. I always say take things day by day and I feel I happy I've won another title," the 19-year-old told BBC Sport.
According to Mboko, she has a short memory.
"I'm always someone who is looking ahead. I feel what has passed has passed," the reigning Montreal champion noted.
Mboko was rewarded with a top-20 ranking for her Hong Kong triumph as she is now enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 18 in the world. The Canadian previously started the 2025 season ranked at No. 333 in the world.
