In a performance that signaled a true changing of the guard, 19-year-old Victoria Mboko reached the semifinals of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open by upsetting second seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday evening.
The victory is the most significant of the Canadian’s young career, as it officially secures her debut in the WTA Top 10 in next week’s rankings.
“This week has been insane”, she said on court after the win. “I never expected such a result for myself. I’ve just been taking it day by day. It was a great match with Elena. She has a pretty good record right now. To play this match is really an honor to share the court with her. Hopefully I can play her so many more times in the future.”
The importance of this win lies not just in the milestone, but in the caliber of the opponent. Mboko successfully ended the nine-match winning streak of Rybakina, the reigning 2026 Australian Open champion, who had been the most dominant player on tour over the last months.
Ostapenko next
In a high-quality encounter lasting over two hours, Mboko showcased her trademark resilience. After splitting the first two sets, the world number 13 fell behind 2-4 in the decider before reeling off four consecutive games to stun the world number 3. By reaching the final four, Mboko becomes the first Canadian teenager to crack the top 10 since Bianca Andreescu’s historic 2019 season.
Mboko’s journey through the Doha draw has been a testament to her elite status. Before taking down Rybakina, she survived a dramatic third-round clash against fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, where she saved a match point to win in a deciding tiebreak. She also earned impressive straight-sets victories over Czech standout Marie Bouzkova and veteran Vera Zvonareva in the opening rounds.
The Canadian will now face Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinals, her second career appearance at this stage of a WTA 1000 event. Ostapenko advanced earlier on Thursday with a win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto. With Rybakina and top seed Iga Swiatek both exiting the tournament, Mboko now stands as a primary favorite to claim her second career 1000-level title.