Victoria Mboko's rise saw her propelled into a sudden seeded position at the US Open but got one of the toughest draws in two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova on Monday and tough it was as she was well beaten 6-3 6-2.
It pit 18-year-old Mboko's youth against Krejickova's experience and showed just how fast it can all change in tennis with Krejcikova being a top 10 player at the start of 2025. The Czech ace is now World No.62 and unseeded while Mboko is now World No.22 at the US Open and was outside the top 300 at the turn of the season.
Krejcikova though is very much a dark horse and this is evident by the fact that she had six months off this season due to a back injury so is only so low for that reason alone as opposed to lost form as she barely played after winning Wimbledon last year.
That form was in full flight as she sealed the win in just one hour and 23 minutes. She sliced from both wings and prevented Mboko from finding any rhythm or any way to throw her off balance while also using that unsteadiness to set herself up for her own winners.
Mboko though perhaps was thrown into the lions den almost unexpectedly. She sustained a wrist injury in her Canada title run and withdrew from Cincinnati the week after to recover and seemed hampered. Though she did perform well at times, this first tilt at being 22nd seed perhaps came at the wrong time. But given that she is a new rising force in the sport and coming from a low base, it is a learning experience and one that no doubt will propel her on.
Wrist issue for Mboko continues
Her wrist was an issue, she was heavily strapped during the tie and hit 10 double faults including at pivotal junctures. Those being in her opening game, two in the last game of the opening set, two more to drop serve at the start of the second and also in the final game of the match.
While Krejcikova's was like a fine wine. She won 81% of her first serve points and only lost three points behind her serve all of the second set. She is a former World No.2 and perhaps the worst draw Mboko could've got. She has won both of her major titles from outside the top 30 before and given that all the chatter from pundits was about Mboko. Perhaps rightly so. She managed to silence those who expected the teen to rise.
Next is Moyuka Uchijima who took down Olga Danilovic saving seven match points to do so on Sunday 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a surprise win. But this gives Krejcikova a great shot at reaching the third round with the Japanese ace previously on a 10 match losing streak.
Match Statistics Krejcikova vs. Mboko
| Krejcikova | VS | Mboko |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 4 | Aces | 2 |
| 4 | Double Faults | 10 |
| 56% (27/48) | 1st Service Percentage | 61% (43/70) |
| 81% (22/27) | 1st Service Points Won | 67% (29/43) |
| 62% (13/21) | 2nd Service Points Won | 28% (7/25) |
| 100% (2/2) | Break Points Saved | 64% (7/11) |
| 100% (8/8) | Service Games | 56% (5/9) |
| Return | ||
| 33% (14/43) | 1st Return Points Won | 19% (5/27) |
| 72% (18/25) | 2nd Return Points Won | 38% (8/21) |
| Other | ||
| 1h 20m | Match Duration | 1h 20m |
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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