"I’m just taking precautions right now and making sure everything is okay when I play" - Fleeting injury concerns not getting in Mboko's way in Melbourne

Victoria Mboko has shut down any injury concerns while having spoken on how important it is for her family to be down in Australia with her as she marches into the third round of the Australian Open thanks to a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Catherine McNally.

The Canadian had to be at her best to fend off the tricky American. While McNally threatened throughout, Mboko once again looked imperious on court, living up to the hype surrounding her name since that incredible Canadian Open title run. She recently reached the final of the Brisbane International, already her third WTA Tour final in what is a very young career. While she would not win it, this gave her great momentum going into her debut campaign at Melbourne Park.

With the score tied at 4-4, a crucial break offered Mboko the chance to clinch the first set before she won six games on the spin to overturn a 3-0 disadvantage into game, set and the match.

"I played against Katie McNally today and she’s not an easy player to play," she said after the victory. "She’s very aggressive, has very good movement, and honestly she had a lot of chances in the second set to really push the match around. I feel like I really had to fight hard today and battle with her as much as I could, and just get the job done."

Mboko's first thought was not to panic when a double break down against her opponent. She gathered her thoughts and made an emphatic charge to the finishing line, showing the class she possesses.

"When I was down 3–0, she was playing really great tennis. I just tried to put it in my head to take it point by point and not focus too much on the score," she said. "Any chance I got to really push the match around or make a turnaround, I tried to take it as much as I could."

A big part of this motivation came from seeing Canadian flags in the crowd and having people fly support her, which meant a lot to the 19-year-old. "Honestly, there were a lot of Canadians in the crowd too, which really gave me a lot of motivation and support. I was really thankful for that today, and I think they helped me push through the match."

It is set to be a blockbuster third round clash between two of the most promising players on the WTA Tour. Clara Tauson is the current world number 14 after enjoying a meteoric rise, similar to Mboko. Both players have showed their worth on court, with a WTA 1000 each to their name.

Both players will be targeting a spot in the Australian Open fourth round for the first time, with Mboko on debut and Tauson never making it past the third round in a trio of prior events.

"I didn’t really watch any of her matches yet, but I know she’s very aggressive," Mboko admitted. "She’s ranked really high for a reason, so I know it’s going to be another battle on Friday. She’s a hard hitter, and I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun."

In most parts of society, the term 'wrapping' would mean a good thing as presents would normally be waiting on the other side. For tennis players, it means injury. Fortunately, for Mboko, who boasted a bunch of wrapping around her right knee.

Whilst it was seen as a concern to some people that she was carrying a knock, it was more precautionary than anything else. "I feel like the wrapping looks a lot scarier than it actually is. I just want to keep it for prevention, so it keeps everything stable," she cleared up. "It’s been a long couple of weeks with a lot of matches, so it’s normal over that time to feel things here and there as matches go on. I’m just taking precautions right now and making sure everything is okay when I play. That’s what it’s for."

The cause: "I hyperextended it in Adelaide. It’s not a recurring injury or anything. It was just a little mishap that I had, and that’s what the wrapping is for."

Mboko shares a very special relationship with her father, who has played a big role in her tennis career and making her the person that million watch compete on the court to this day. It is a very special occasion for his daughter, who played in the second round of the Australian Open for the first time, and Grand Slam for only third.

However, he did not complicate his pre-match advice. "Honestly, he doesn’t really tell me much before or after matches. He just tells me to go out there and have fun," she stated. "He doesn’t like to complicate things for me, and I feel like I’m the same way. We keep it pretty simple. It was nice to see him after the match—he was pretty happy."

He's not the only one making the long trip Down Under, with many other family members also taking the time out of their lives to see Mboko take to the court, as well as visit Australia.

"It’s not really me who decides whether they come or not. They’ve never been to Australia, so they wanted to see it. It’s pretty convenient that I’m playing the Australian Open so they can come watch me," she added. "Whether they’re here or not, I do love having them around. It’s extra support. They helped me a lot growing up and bring me a lot of comfort when I play. It’s always nice to have them here—but they’re adults, you know, they can come on their own dime."