Victoria Mboko is into the second WTA 1000 semi-final of her career, having beaten Elena Rybakina in the Qatar Open earlier tonight.
The Canadian was sensational throughout, and capitalised when her opponent’s unflappable level dipped.
And, even when she was pegged back with breaks, she remained remarkably calm for a teenage sensation competing in just her sixth match at a tournament of this level.
Victoria Mboko was full of praise for Elena Rybakina upon reacting to this result, and pointed out what she hopes to do with the Kazakhstan star in the future despite beating her.
Victoria Mboko reacts after beating Elena Rybakina at the Qatar Open
Speaking on court immediately after what was just her second win over Rybakina, Mboko unsurprisingly cut an upbeat figure.
She began by admitting: “Yeah, I mean, this week has been insane.
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“I never expected such a result for myself, but, you know, I have just been taking it day by day, and it was a great match with Elena, you know?
“I mean, she has a pretty good record right now, so to play this match is really an honour, to share the court with her, and hopefully, I can play her so many more times in the future.”
Mboko would then look ahead to her semi-final opponent, with Jelena Ostapenko standing between her and another WTA 1000 final.
She added: “Well, I mean, I’m gonna have to, of course, play well. I mean, I think she’s been playing pretty well all week, so I have to bring my A game.
“So, I mean, I also want to thank everyone who came to support today. There were so many Canadian supporters, and so many people supporting Elena, so you guys really brought so much energy today.”
Is Victoria Mboko the best teenager on the WTA Tour?
Provided Karolína Muchová does not win the entire event, Mboko is guaranteed to break into the top ten for the first time in her career after this week.
It marks the culmination of a mesmeric rise up the rankings, to the point where she must now be recognised as one of the best players on the planet.
Her start to the 2026 season has been sensational, reaching the final in Adelaide before making a run to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Naturally, stars like Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic will contest the title of best teenager on the entire WTA Tour, especially with the former still above Mboko in the rankings.
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Mboko did knock Andreeva out of this competition earlier this week.
However, it’s getting harder and harder to deny this Canadian talent, who could be on track to win another WTA 1000 tournament given her current trajectory.
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