"The more milestones I achieve, I kind of want to go for more" - Victoria Mboko hungry for more success as off-court opportunities come flying in

Another top name has fallen to the talented Victoria Mboko, who continues her rampage up the WTA order after a very commendable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells. Her confidence is growing with every victory, with the off-court rewards coming in.

After going 3-2 down in the first set, Mboko turned on the afterburners and blew away the two-time Grand Slam finalist. She broke the Americans' serve enroute to taking the first set before letting one game out of her grasp in a hugely dominating end to the match, sending out a message to her rivals that she is one to watch.

After reaching the Qatar Open final, Mboko broke new ground in extraordinary circumstances as she climbed into the top 10. It is an incredible achievement, with the Canadian not even having made her Grand Slam debut by this time last year. She is brimming with confidence and belief, and this win over Anisimova will just continue to help her rise up the ranks, with the sky the limit for the 19-year-old.

"I mean, it’s crazy honestly — playing this tournament for the first time and being in the top 10. It’s a little bit weird for me," she told the Tennis Channel. "Of course, there’s some pressure that comes with it. But then again, I’ve never been here before. So I kind of played into that and told myself: 'You know what? I’m playing here for the first time. I’ve never been here, so don’t expect anything from yourself. Just go out there, play your game and see what happens.' So I feel really happy to have gotten the win today."

While admitting the pressure was rising with her ever-growing status in this sport, the more she wins and deeper she goes in each tournament, motivates her to achieve more. "Each tournament it gets a bit higher, I could say. The more milestones I achieve, I kind of want to go for more," she admitted. "But then again, I’m a person who doesn’t really set goals for myself because I like to surprise myself as we go. Whether it’s good results or bad results — it happens to everyone. Honestly, as long as the trajectory is going up, whether it’s a good week or a bad week, that’s all that matters to me."

Mboko cemented her name among the top tennis players in just a week of thrilling action at the 2025 Canadian Open. She entered as a relatively unknown wildcard, and left as the champion. Those 1000 points on her tally made her a seed for the upcoming US Open, a huge change from trying to qualify for the major tournament as she had been doing.

"I feel like last year everything came super quickly, and I wasn’t really prepared for everything that was going to happen," she acknowledged. However, in 2026 it feels like Mboko is finding it a lot more comfortable to mix with the best, reaching two WTA finals while picking up four top 10 wins already this calendar year.

"But honestly, since the Australian swing, just getting a lot of matches and playing so many of these top players has really helped. I feel like it prepares me mentally and physically for what’s to come. As each match goes by, I’m able to adapt myself more and find where I fit into this level of the game. So it’s been really nice to gain experience with each round."

It is not just on the court that she is reaping the rewards, but opportunities the Canadian is having off it. She had the golden chance of going to the Chanel Show in New York, an experience she will not be forgetting anytime soon. "It was a lot of fun. It was in New York City. They dressed me up, I had a little bag and everything — I felt like a little princess for a day. That was super fun. It was an experience I’d never done before, so it was really cool."

She admitted that these opportunities do not come along that often, and that is why she made the most of it. "It’s definitely cool. When you’re on the court for so many hours every day, having those little fun events on the side is like a little side quest. Your ordinary person won’t really get to do something like that very often. So having experiences like that is pretty nice."

While Mboko is playing at a very high level, this next challenge could be a step too far. Aryna Sabalenka was imperious in a straight-sets win over Naomi Osaka, sending an ominous statement to the rest of the field.

Mboko has already come a cropper against the four-time Grand Slam champion this year, losing in the last-16 of the Australian Open to the eventual runner-up. If she is going to get a positive result, she needs to weather the storm that Sabalenka will bestow upon her before taking any chance that comes her way.

"I’m excited. To play the No. 1 player in the world is always special," Mboko stated. "I played her at the Australian Open, and it was a really great match. I know what to expect — she hits a really great ball. So I’m up for the challenge. It’s going to be a really fun match and I’m looking forward to it."