It appears Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko has arrived in a fashion very similar to the arrival of the star she upset, Coco Gauff who is currently the number 2 rated women’s tennis player in the world.
People may remember Gauff’s official recognition as a future star, when at age 14, she beat Venus Williams at the Wimbledon Grand Slam
Now at age 21, Gauff felt the burn when she was upset yesterday by 18-year-old Mboko, 6-1, 6-4.
Needless to say, Gauff hasn’t been playing very well since she won the French Open earlier this summer and her performance was less than impressive. However fans are questioning whether Gauff just had an off day or is Mboko just that good.
The 18-year-old Mboko, ranked 85th in the world, finished off the 21-year-old Gauff — who had 24 unforced errors — in 1 hour, 2 minutes.
Who is Victoria Mboko
Mboko is a Canadian player whose parents emigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the late 1990s to escape political turmoil. They first settled in the U.S. before relocating to Canada in 2006.
She has three older tennis-playing siblings—Gracia, Kevin, and David—two of whom competed at the collegiate level. Inspired from age 3 or 4, Mboko began chasing tennis balls fed by her dad at local courts; her siblings helped guide and motivate her as she developed her game
Her father worked night shifts early in her career to ensure he could drive her to all her practices and matches, making sacrifices that she deeply values
Her coaches describe her as humble, mature beyond her years, and deeply grounded in family values and support
Mboko the Player
Mboko began the year ranked around No. 333, then stormed to win in 22 straight matches on the lower-level International Tennis Federation circuit with only one loss by early March. She posted a 27‑1 record before moving on to the higher-level Women’s Tennis Association league.
She broke into the WTA Top 100 following her Grand Slam debut at the French Open, where she made it to the third round. Her win against Gauff in Montreal gives her a live ranking of 53, and she could be even higher, with the potential of three more rounds she could win in Canada.
Her rapid ascent marks her as one of the sport’s most exciting rising stars.
Gauff Fans Call Out “Racist” Comparison
“She’s playing high-level tennis.” Gauff said in a post match interview with the press. “I think that’s what showed today. I think she was the better player.”
However, she was quick to shoot down comparisons between herself and Mboko. “No, I’ve never been one to compare myself to others,” she snapped back. “Whether it be people comparing me to Serena or Venus, and I don’t think it’s fair to put that on her as well. She’s a completely different player, completely different person.”
She did, however, laud the talent of the 18-year-old, adding: “I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure. She’s very athletic. She’s a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn’t get really too negative.”
While Gauff responded to the journalist maturely, her fans online didn’t find the question respectful, saying it sounded racially motivated and based solely on skin color.
One fan bluntly suggested Gauff should have hushed them instead, by saying, “Would you say this if she weren’t Black?”
An X user wished to know whether Mirra Andreeva – another rising tennis star who is White – also faces the same in her interviews.
“Disgusting question!! Do you ask Mirra if she sees herself in Sharapova (a White female tennis standout who shocked the world by winning Wimbledon as a teenager in 2004 at age 17)?”
