Page 44 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 152

44 Issue #152 September 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko recently won the Canadian Open tennis. Will she follow
the path of former Canadian tennis phenoms such as Carling Bassett, Eugenie Bouchard,

and Bianca Andreescu, who failed to achieve long-term success on tour after showing early

promise as teenagers, or will she be a dominate player for years to come?

Jake Lapierre -Conditioning Coach - At age 19, Canadian tennis player, Victoria Mboko has certainly caught the
attention of tennis fans after capturing the National Bank Open title presented by Rogers in Montreal Quebec Canada.
This victory boosted Victorias ranking to 22nd seed entering the US Open.
Her U.S. Open debut however, ended early with a 6-3, 6-2 loss to two-time Grand Slam winner, Barbora Krejcikova of
the Czech Republic, in a women’s first-round singles match. Victoria began her first-round match with her right wrist
bandaged up because of an injury from a fall during her a semi-final National Bank Open match with Elena Rybakina.
Ms. Mboko stayed in the game and went on to defeat Naomi Osaka to win the National Bank Open in Montreal.

As disappointing as this early exit from the US Open was for Victoria, I am sure she is happy with her success to date
and has the confidence in herself to put the US Open behind her and return to the tour stronger, faster and more
tenacious, to continue her success on the court
Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club - Victoria Mboko is having a great year so far. Ranked 350th at the beginning

of the season, getting into the third round of the French Open and the second round at Wimbledon got her to #85.
Her recent victory at the National Bank Open now has her ranked as the 22nd best player in the World by the
Woman’s Tennis Association. As impressive as this is, she still has a little way to go yet to equal Bassett, Bouchard,
and Andreescu’s achievements. Carling Bassett was Canada’s top player during the 1980’s and she was ranked at #8.
Eugenia Bouchard had a #5 ranking and went to the Wimbledon finals in 2014. Bianca Andreescu’s #4 is the highest
ranking ever held by a Canadian in WTA history. Mboko has the raw talent to surpass all three of these athletes,
but several factors will determine the outcome. Injuries may become a factor, as Mboko has been bothered by both
knee and wrist issues the past two years. Then there are the intangibles; having just turned 19 yrs of age she is still
learning, growing, and developing her game. She has handled pressure well so far but will need to continue to work

on the mental aspect of her game, believe in herself, and be able to overcome losses and return from injuries. The early
promise is there, and time will tell if she is able to turn the potential into performance.

Peter Collins - Sports Enthusiast - Victoria’s meteoric rise in the tennis world has been nothing short of amazing. At
the beginning of the tennis season, she was ranked 540th in the world, now in August after her Canadian win, she is
ranked 24th. Her success this year had been incremental until she defeated World number two ranked Coco Gauff in
the fourth round and 25th ranked Naomi Osaka in the finals of the Canadian event. That kind of performance cannot
be understated, considering that Victoria entered the tournament as a wild card entry.
Two issues usually prevent teenage sensations from having great careers. Firstly, the fame and notoriety can end the
hard work and determination that enabled players to be successful as teenagers. Secondly, as witnessed with Canadian

Andreescu, health issues can lead to a slow-down of upward career paths. Many a tennis player has never reached
their full potential because of a litany of nagging injuries. Let’s hope that Victoria doesn’t succumb to either of those
pitfalls and has a great tennis career.