Victoria Mboko spearheads teenage challenge to set up Aryna Sabalenka clash
The 19-year-old is through to the fourth round at a grand slam for the first time.
Victoria Mboko is leading a teenage takeover at the Australian Open – and she has world number one Aryna Sabalenka in her sights next.
The 19-year-old Canadian’s rapid rise up the rankings will continue after she reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time with a 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3 victory over 14th seed Clara Tauson.
Mboko served for the second set and had three match points before Tauson fought back, but she showed experience well beyond her years to put the disappointment behind her.
Mboko was one of five teenagers to reach the third round in the women’s singles, with fellow debutantes Tereza Valentova and Nikola Bartunkova also making a big impression along with 18-year-old duo Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic.
“There’s a lot of us teenagers on the tour who are actually still in the tournament right now,” said Mboko. “I think it’s really nice to see.
“I’ve known a lot of them for such a long time, played against them in the juniors. I always want them to do well and vice versa.”
The last 16 has thrown up a fascinating battle between Mboko and two-time former champion Sabalenka, who wobbled against Anastasia Potapova but came through 7-6 (4) 7-6 (7).
At 27, Sabalenka is a veteran by comparison, and she said: “I feel like, for me, it would be really tough to handle the success at a young age.
“Now, seeing these girls so young achieving so much, playing such great tennis, being really mature, it’s incredible. I feel like they mature much faster than than I did.”
“Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m that much more mature or anything,” said Mboko with a smile. “I think coming on (tour) this early can make you more mature in a way. You just learn a lot more things quicker.”
Mboko was not even ranked highly enough to get into qualifying in Melbourne last year but is seeded 17th after a rapid ascent that was capped by a stunning WTA 1000 title on home soil in Montreal last summer, when she beat Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka.
This will be her first crack at Sabalenka, and she said: “I think it’s super cool. I’ve never played a current number one in the world. That’s going to be a very different experience.
“I assume we’d be playing on Rod Laver. I’ve never played on a grand slam centre court either. A lot of firsts. I’m just really excited. It’s something not many people get to experience. To be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool. Just to show what I got.”
Sabalenka will need to raise her level from her error-strewn performance against Emma Raducanu’s conqueror Potapova, who had four set points in the second-set tie-break.
Sabalenka admitted emotionally she was “all over the place” but she again showed her mettle when she needed to, improving her open era record to 19 consecutive tie-breaks won at grand slams, dating back to a French Open semi-final loss to Karolina Muchova in 2023.
She is expecting a fierce battle from Mboko, saying: “I don’t believe that mentality that they (teenagers) have nothing to lose because I’ve been in their shoes. You still go out there with hopes that you’re going to win this one, you’re going to be the young one to win the slam.”
