"I'd like to probably go far in one of the Slams": Calm, focused but dreaming of Australian Open run as Victoria Mboko enters first full season

Victoria Mboko heads into the next few days opening her first full year as a top player after spending the opening part of 2025 grinding on the ITF Tour before her breakout in Miami and winning Montreal of course later on in the season.

Mboko won two singles titles and is now World No.18. She sits just behind a slew of players too so in reality could be top 10 before the end of the year is out but she isn't getting too carried away. There are now dreams of grandeur for her with a run at the Australian Open most likely to be the want for Mboko who has set her sights solely on a run at a Grand Slam over anything else.

Speaking ahead of the United Cup, it is also about enjoyment more than anything else with Mboko not seeking numbers or standout runs, it is all about keeping up her love of tennis and seeing how far she can get. A refreshing calm demeanour from a player who took to the sport like a duck to water in 2025 and will now hope heading into the first week of 2026 that she can do the same.

"Well, I don't set myself so many goals, but I like to keep things calm in my head. I'd like to probably go far in one of the Slams, maybe do well at Australian Open," she said as per AFP. "I just want a good, healthy year, playing as much as I can and happy on the court.”

"I don't really think of it much. But it's obviously a lot that happens and comes off the court, but you know I just like to enjoy myself as much as possible. And just have a lot of fun playing the sport I love, and that's all I see it as, and I just want to just enjoy myself."

First up for the Canadian ace is the United Cup which she plays starting on January 2nd and for Mboko she will face a new pressure as the top player from the nation. A tag that has been held in previous years of course by Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu among others.

But Mboko will have Felix Auger-Aliassime by her side who she went to the zoo with this past week in one of the engagements and photo opportunities ahead of the United Cup.

"I’m really excited. This is my first time playing such an event and playing the whole Australia swing, so there are a lot of new experiences and so many new things to come," Mboko said. "I’m excited to play United Cup. It’s a really fun event and to be here with Felix and the team, it’s really great."

Canada sit in Group B alongside Belgium and China. It is a good opportunity for the side albeit whether they can produce from there is another matter in the latter stages but they will be favourite. Zizou Bergs and Elise Mertens lead Belgium while China will be without Zheng Qinwen with Zhang Zhizhen and Zhu Lin leading the way for their nation so on paper, they are one of the strongest teams.

But Mboko also has faced the ups and downs of an incredible debut season. She was one of the top touted talents for some time but in reality also she faced the issue of backing that up and also having a higher ceiling when it came to her form. She barely won a game up until the end of the season before having a late flurry so it hasn't been exactly plain sailing continuously for Mboko.