Victoria Mboko has shared her verdict on the two tournaments that make up the Sunshine Double; Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Canadian superstar Mboko is currently playing at the latter, having recently reached the quarterfinals of the former.
Mboko was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells earlier this month, but has since returned to winning ways at the Miami Open.
The WTA number nine takes on Mirra Andreeva in the round of 16, but only after playing doubles with the Russian in Miami.
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Victoria Mboko prefers the Miami Open over Indian Wells
Ahead of that singles clash, Mboko was asked on Tennis Channel which is more her “vibe”; Indian Wells or the Miami Open.
“I kind of like… I like this vibe a bit more,” she said.
“I mean I love Palm Springs and I love the tournament in Indian Wells, but I think… I don’t know, I think this is more suiting me a little bit.
“I think I like the fast vibe and I don’t know… we’re currently sitting in a football stadium, so that’s pretty cool.”
And when asked how the Miami conditions are suiting her game, she replied: “Well I feel like the courts here are a lot faster than in Indian Wells.
“So yeah I like it, the fast pace, it just doesn’t give me a lot of time to think and I just go out there and swing. So I like it.”
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Victoria Mboko focusing on herself after WTA top 10 rise
Mboko was also tasked with discussing her rapid rise on the WTA Tour, with the 19-year-old currently in her career-high rank of number nine.
It comes in stark contrast to when she clinched the title in Montreal as an 18-year-old wildcard in 2025, ranked 85th in the world.
Sharing how different it is to play big events with very few expectations compared to consistently being one of the contenders, she said: “Yeah, I definitely do think it’s a bit different.
“Especially last year no one really knew who I was. So I think going into tournaments, you’re not expected to make semifinals, or, I don’t know.
“Regardless of that, I think it’s still important to just take it match by match. Everyone’s going to play good tennis, whether they’re ranked higher or a bit lower.
“So I think if I focus on myself and make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do on court, that’s what matters the most.
“And hey, if my opponent plays a great match, they play a great match. Sometimes you can’t control some things.”
It’s a very admirable and indeed wise approach from Mboko, who aged 19 is already a top 10 player and a two-time WTA champion.
| Top rank by year | Year | Year-end ranking |
| 9 | 2026 | – |
| 18 | 2025 | 18 |
| 284 | 2024 | 350 |
| 316 | 2023 | 323 |
| 487 | 2022 | 499 |
Her rapid rise is epitomized by the fact that the teenager remarkably started 2025 ranked outside the WTA top 300.
This season alone, Mboko has reached two finals, but lost out to upcoming opponent Andreeva and Karolina Muchova in Adelaide and Doha respectively.
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