Victoria Mboko looks forward to "good, healthy year" in 2026

Victoria Mboko says she won't allow greater pressures and expectations to derail her enjoyment of the game after her breakout 2025 season.

Canada's top women's tennis player Victoria Mboko enjoyed some downtime at Sydney zoo with her United Cup Canada team mates on Wednesday. 

2025 was a breakout year for the 19-year old. She rose from 333rd to 18th in the world rankings and won her first WTA titles in Montreal and Hong Kong. But she says she’s taking her future one day at a time.

"Well, I don't set myself so many goals, but I like to keep things calm in my head. I'd like to probably go far in one of the Slams, maybe do well at Australia Open," she said as she toured the zoo, "I just want a good, healthy year, playing as much as I can and happy on the court.”

Her meteoric rise won her WTA Newcomer of the Year award but Mboko says she’s not putting any pressure on herself. 

"I don't really think of it much. But it's obviously a lot that happens and comes off the court, but you know I just like to enjoy myself as much as possible. And just have a lot of fun playing the sport I love, and that's all I see it as, and I just want to just enjoy myself."

Mboko was born in the United States after her parents moved there from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The family emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when Victoria was two-months old. 

The United Cup 2026 is hosted by Tennis Australia and gets underway in Sydney and Perth on Friday.