There is plenty of buzz surrounding Victoria Mboko after becoming Canadian Open champion.
The teenager produced some stellar performances to win the first title of her career in front of her home fans.
Mboko beat four Grand Slam winners in Montreal, including Naomi Osaka, who lost the Montreal final 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Mboko has soared to number 24 in the WTA rankings following her title win in Canada, one spot above Naomi Osaka, and now fans are keen to see what impression she can make at the upcoming US Open.
Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesSteve Johnson thinks Victoria Mboko is a Grand Slam contender
Vicotria Mboko has shown the quality she possesses right through the 2025 season.
The 18-year-old won 22 successive matches without dropping a set at ITF level, and won five titles along the way.
Now she has shown what she can do at the top level after beating Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka at the Canadian Open.
Given what he has seen from her game and the mindset she possesses, Steve Johnson from the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast thinks Mboko will be challenging for Grand Slam titles.
“That is impressive for her maiden title to be a Masters series and in your home country,” Johnson said.
“We know some players love to play in their home environment, they get that boost from the crowd and everything they want from that and some players go in the opposite direction where it’s extremely nerve-wracking and they want to perform so badly in front of their own crowd it hampers them a little bit.
“She started the year outside the top 300, she is going to be seeded at the US Open. She is a star in the making. Her game is fun to watch, she is extremely athletic.
“She hits the cr— out of the ball and her poise during this event to go out there and beat incredible players – Gauff, Rybakina and Osaka. Yes, I do think she is a Slam contender for sure.”
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty ImagesVictoria Mboko’s coach says how her schedule was tailored to arrive at the US Open in top shape
Following her exploits in Canada, Mboko will now be seeded for her first appearance in the main draw of the US Open.
She will enter this tournament with more expectation than at any previous point in her career, but the Canadian will play with freedom given her youth, inexperience at the highest level and excitement of playing at the US Open.
Her team have been working hard to ensure they tailored her schedule in the right way, allowing her to peak in time for the Grand Slam, which explains why she withdrew from the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
“After Roland-Garros, when we defined the schedule up to the US Open, we set some goals,” Mboko’s coach Nathalie Tauziat told Tennis365.
“Based on the way she’s playing, we know she’s capable of doing something big in New York. We want to focus 100% on that tournament, arriving well prepared and injury-free.
“After Montreal, it was vital to manage the schedule well, which is why we’re not going to Cincinnati.”