“I didn’t even know what triggered it”: Victoria Mboko on breaking down in tears after her first WTA title

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 19:00

Victoria Mboko recently recalled breaking down in tears after winning her first WTA title at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal. The Canadian reflected on the emotional moment in the WTA’s Behind the Curtain series, explaining how a conversation with her family brought the magnitude of her breakthrough to the surface after a remarkable run to her maiden WTA 1000 crown on home soil.

Entering the tournament as a wildcard, Mboko defeated four Grand Slam champions, including Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka in the final. She followed that breakthrough by winning the WTA 250 title in Hong Kong later in 2025, taking her career total to two WTA singles titles. After starting the year outside the top 300, she finished at No. 18.

Her rise continued in 2026, when she reached finals in Adelaide, Doha and Strasbourg and advanced to the Australian Open fourth round.

Mboko climbed to a career-high No. 9 in March before a left knee injury sustained against Karolina Pliskova at Queen’s Club in June forced her out of competition. Despite missing the second half of the season, she remains around the top 15 in the WTA Race.

Mboko recalls breaking down in tears after her first WTA title

Asked about the last time tennis had made her cry, Mboko returned to the aftermath of her Montreal triumph. The emotions surfaced unexpectedly while she was talking with her family, leaving her unable to pinpoint exactly what had triggered the reaction.

“The last time tennis made me cry was when I won my first-ever WTA title,” Mboko said. “I think I was just talking with my family, and I just started crying out of the blue. I don't even know what started making me start crying, but I think after all the emotions and everything that has happened, I didn't really know what to do. So I just started crying.”

Victoria Mboko after winning the final against Naomi Osaka at 2025 Canadian Open

Her family has played a significant role throughout her development, including in the experiences that helped shape her competitive instincts. Growing up with three older siblings, Mboko was determined to win even their friendly matches, although losing often meant facing some teasing from her brothers and sister.

“I used to compete a lot with them, and I'm a lot younger than them, but I was always very competitive,” she explained. “So whenever we'd have friendly matches, I always really wanted to win. So every time I would lose to my brothers or my sister, they would really rub it in my face a lot.”

“They made me cry a lot, especially when I was younger, just trying to push my buttons. And yeah, I think that brought out the competitiveness in me, and it shaped me to who I am today as well.”

That competitiveness has since helped Mboko establish herself among the WTA Tour’s rising contenders. Her Canadian Open campaign featured victories over Gauff, Rybakina and Osaka, while her subsequent Hong Kong title confirmed that her breakthrough was no isolated achievement. Three more finals in 2026 further demonstrated her ability to compete for major honours.

Injury interrupts Mboko’s rise after career-best season

Mboko’s progress was interrupted at Queen’s Club, where she retired against Pliskova while trailing 6-2, 3-4. The MCL injury in her left knee ruled her out of Wimbledon and the remainder of the grass-court season, and she has not returned to competition since June.

The timing was particularly unfortunate for the defending Canadian Open champion, who had reached No. 9 in the rankings just three months earlier. Her three final appearances in 2026 showed that she was continuing to challenge for titles, even though she could not convert those opportunities into another trophy.

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Mboko’s 2026 record stands at 24 wins and 10 losses, according to published tournament statistics. Alongside her Australian Open fourth-round appearance, the three finals marked another productive season before injury brought it to an early end. She remains in contention to finish inside the year-end top 20, despite missing the entire second half of the campaign.

Her next priority will be returning to full fitness. But the tears she recalled after her first WTA title captured the significance of the Montreal breakthrough: the culmination of years of effort, the support of her family and the emotions behind a defining moment in her young career.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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