A new WTA Tour season is fast approaching, with many young talents looking to make their mark on the big stage.
A handful of WTA players certainly did that in 2025, with the likes of Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic among that group.
But Patrick Mouratoglou, who enjoyed stunning success as coach of Serena Williams, has now named his brightest star in women’s tennis.
The Frenchman has analysed the season of Montreal champion Victoria Mboko, and indeed that of her ATP counterpart Joao Fonseca.
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Patrick Mouratoglou calls Victoria Mboko the ‘future of tennis’
Mouratoglou said on his Instagram: “The rise of Fonseca and Mboko. Those two players are the future of tennis.
“I will start with Victoria Mboko. She’s Canadian, she’s played an incredible season. She was out of the top 100.
“She killed it this year. She won a Masters 1000. She had some downs after that, because suddenly the pressure became too high.
“She arrived like a bomb in the tennis world and the WTA world. The quality of her game, her physical assets, her personality.
“I mean, she has the whole package, and she’s definitely the future of tennis. I’m super happy to see her coming up so fast.
“And I want to say the same for Joao Fonseca from Brazil. This year, he continued to rise. He had also some ups and downs. He also experiences crazy pressure.
“You can imagine how much the Brazilian fans are behind him, which is positive, but also a lot of responsibility for such a young guy. If you look at his ranking year after year, it’s going like a bomb. He is the future of men’s tennis.
“He is potentially someone who can, in the next years, probably not next year, but in the next years, compete with [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner, because he has everything for that.”
Patrick Mouratoglou suggests how close Victoria Mboko and Joao Fonseca are to the highest level
Mouratoglou’s praise of the duo certainly didn’t end there, with the Frenchman continuing his adulation of both players in a major way.
He added: “I love both Mboko and Fonseca, on and off the court. On the court because of the tennis they play, their potential, their physical assets, they have the full package, and of course the mental side.
“When I say off the court, I mean it’s on the court, but it’s not purely tennis. It’s the ability to bring everyone with them.
“They both have already so many fans, and I can feel that she can do something big for tennis, potentially an icon.
“And I say the same for Joao Fonseca. He already has so many fans, that’s a joke. Wherever he plays, you have an incredible Brazilian crowd, a lot of guys follow him on tour already.
“We cannot wait to see them at the highest level, but they’re on their way.”
Who is your favorite player on the WTA Tour right now?
Such praise has definitely been earned by both players, who are entering 2026 on the back of fantastic seasons.
Mboko is already a two-time WTA champion at the age of 19, and has climbed to a career-high rank of 18th.
And Fonseca, who won the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals title, also has two titles at 19, and is ranked 24th in the world.
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