Mats Wilander says 'breath of fresh air' Victoria Mboko can challenge for US Open crown after example set by Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu
Published 21/08/2025 at 10:00 GMT+1
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander says Victoria Mboko can challenge for the US Open crown this month. The 18-year-old shocked the world as she beat some of the biggest names the sport has to offer on her way to winning the Canadian Open. Wilander outlined what sets the young star apart from her peers, and insists that she and Mirra Andreeva could compete at the top for years to come.
'Wow, what a player!' - Mboko a 'breath of fresh air', says Wilander
Video credit: TNT Sports
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander believes Victoria Mboko has been a "breath of fresh air" for tennis.
The 18-year-old defeated four former Grand Slam champions as she stormed to the Canadian Open title and now looks set to test herself at the US Open.
Mboko started the year as the world No. 333 and entered the Canadian Open as a wildcard, but she will now be seeded in the main draw of the Grand Slam.
Wilander believes Mboko, now the world No. 24, has the attitude to challenge her fellow teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva at the highest level for years to come.
"Well, Victoria Mboko is obviously a breath of fresh air," he said. "Wow, what a tennis player she is at such a young age. Then of course, coming from Canada.
"Canada has had great women players in Eugenie Bouchard and Bianca Andreescu, but she's following in their footsteps. So that's unbelievably exciting.
"It's exciting because she's athletically so mature and she also hits the ball unbelievably well.
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‘It feels unbelievable right now’ - Mboko on winning maiden WTA Tour title
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"Plus she's got a great attitude, so I think we're looking at someone that's going to challenge for Grand Slam singles wins in the next 10 years."
Mboko is fully focused on the US Open, having withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open earlier this month.
Wilander believes Mboko is good enough to follow in the footsteps of the other young players who stormed to victory at the tournament, including Emma Raducanu.
"Is she good enough to win it already?," he asked. "Yeah, maybe, she won the Canadian Open. Why couldn't she win the US Open?
"We've seen it done with Emma Raducanu. We saw it done with Bianca Andreescu. They were really young, both of them, and so is Mboko...
"These young players, they're really being helped by some of the younger champions - like Carlos Alcaraz or Emma Raducanu - because they suddenly believe that they can win at 18 years old, and then Mboko obviously is one of them."
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'Super happy, super content' - Mboko reflects on 'insane' triumph in Montreal
Video credit: SNTV
Wilander believes that Mboko’s mentality and movement is what sets her apart from the rest of the pack.
"The two most important things in tennis is the mind and movement, the two big M's, and she has both of those," he added.
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"You're going to have good days and bad days when it comes to hitting forehands and backhands, but your mind and movement will never be bad if you're good at it.
"And I think that's what she has. She's an unbelievable athlete and she's an unbelievable fighter, and I think that's why she's going to stay at the top."
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