Rising tennis sensation Victoria Mboko has taken a significant step towards her first Grand Slam main draw qualification with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory over Austria’s Sinja Kraus at Roland Garros. The 18-year-old from Toronto showcased her powerful serve, hitting five aces and winning an impressive 79 percent of her first-serve points, propelling her into the second round of the three-round qualifying tournament.
Throughout the match, Mboko demonstrated her exceptional capabilities by breaking Kraus’s serve five times out of seven opportunities and creating break-point chances in six of her nine return games. Her solid performance has helped her improve her season record to 38 wins and just 5 losses, largely accrued on the ITF World Tennis Tour circuit. Notably, Mboko was the only Canadian to progress in qualifying on Tuesday, highlighting her role as a standout athlete.
In her next match, Mboko will face Kathinka von Deichmann from Liechtenstein, who advanced after a decisive 6-1, 6-0 win over seventh seed Rebecca Marino of Vancouver. This promising matchup offers Mboko a further opportunity to build on her momentum, especially after her recent runner-up finish at the WTA 125 Parma Ladies Open.
She joins fellow Canadians Bianca Andreescu, Marina Stakusic, and Carson Branstine in the second round of qualifying. Andreescu will confront Japan’s Nao Hibino, Stakusic is set to play Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch, while Branstine faces 10th seed Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland on Wednesday.
In related tournament news, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe moved into the semifinals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg, while Felix Auger-Aliassime secured his first career victory over Germany’s David Altmaier in the Hamburg Open.
Victoria Mboko’s journey in the tournament reflects her potential and determination, signaling an exciting future for Canadian tennis.