Victoria Mboko’s WTA 1000 magic may be back for 2026.
After solving Mirra Andreeva in the round of 16, Mboko took down second-seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open quarter-finals on Thursday. The Canadian No. 1 is now through to her second WTA 1000 semifinal – she defeated Rybakina in the semis of last year’s National Bank Open in Montreal on her way to the title.
Mboko tested the Australian Open champion early on. After a comfortable first hold, the Canadian wasn’t letting Rybakina get any easy points in her opening service game, leading to some break opportunities. On Mboko’s third break point, the teen pulled out a brilliant passing shot on the run for the 2-0 advantage.
However, Rybakina was dominant in her reply, winning eight of the next nine points to equalize at two apiece. The world No. 3 eventually pulled ahead thanks to a break in the seventh game to lead 4-3.
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The big-serving Kazakhstani needed to hold the rest of the way to take the opener but, at 5-4, Mboko broke to extend the set.
The Burlingtonian was nearly broken back at 5-5, 15-40, however, the 19-year-old won six-straight points to hold and have some daylight on return at 5-6, love-30. Mboko managed to grab set point at 30-40, where Rybakina overhit her forehand, giving the Canadian the one-set lead.
Mboko took a medical timeout for some right-elbow discomfort, getting it wrapped up before the start of the second. The elbow didn’t look like it was affecting the Canuck early on as she kept up her tempo, responding to a loss of serve in the third game with a break at 3-2 to level.
Unfortunately for Mboko, she was unable to build off that as Rybakina broke back and regained her advantage, up 4-3.
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Serving for the set at 5-4, the Kazakhstani made no mistake this time out, sending the match to a decisive third set.
Mboko came out firing on serve to begin the decider, winning eight of the first nine points on her delivery, though it was the Canadian No. 1 who had to deal with the set’s first bit of pressure at 2-2. The world No. 13 fought off one break point at 30-40 but couldn’t do the same later in the game as she trailed by a break.
Following the loss of serve, Mboko found another gear late in the match, like she has done throughout the year so far. The Canuck broke in the eighth game to even the set then carried her strong returning over to the tenth, sitting one point away from a spot in the semis with triple match point at 4-5, love-40. Rybakina thought she did enough, saving all three, but Mboko was clinical at deuce, winning the next two points to seal the contest.
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The National Bank Open champion won her sixth three setter of the season, the most on tour so far.
Mboko is the highest-ranked player left in Doha as world No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko stands in her way of the final. She takes on the Latvian Friday morning.
Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak
