Mboko’s Rise & WTA Shocks: Sabalenka & Swiatek Withdrawals

Victoria Mboko will enter the WTA Top 10 next week despite a defeat to Karolina Muchova in the final of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha, marking a swift ascent for the 18-year-old Canadian.

Mboko, who secured her first WTA 1000 title six months ago, acknowledged the loss was “not the outcome I wanted,” but emphasized a positive outlook. “You’ll see so many positives to take away,” she said.

The rapid rise comes after a breakthrough 2025 season, where Mboko progressed from outside the Top 300 to a year-end ranking of No. 18, punctuated by a title win in Montreal as a wild card and another in Hong Kong. Her success this season has been marked by a consistent run of victories, giving her the most match wins on the women’s tour so far.

The upcoming Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will see a significant shift in the competitive landscape with the withdrawal of both world number one Iga Swiatek and number two Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka, who lost to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final last month, stated she was “not feeling 100%.” Swiatek cited a “change of schedule” for her absence from the Dubai tournament.

Mboko is coached by Nathalie Tauziat and Maxime Tchoutakian. Born in North Carolina but raised in Toronto, she grew up attending matches at Sobeys Stadium, the site of a WTA 1000 event. She previously reached the final in Adelaide earlier this year.

The Dubai tournament begins on Sunday, continuing a demanding stretch of back-to-back WTA 1000 events for players.