Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko spoke to the media ahead of her debut at the HSBC Championships in London. “I’m really excited to be here. It’s my first time playing this tournament and my first grass of the season. I’m not very familiar on the grass, but it’s nice to get some extra tournaments in and extra reps before Wimbledon,” she said.
Playing alongside Serena Williams
Mboko revealed how her doubles partnership with Serena Williams came about. “Serena messaged me when I was playing in Strasbourg if I wanted to play doubles here. I wasn’t partnered up with anyone at the time, so I just said, ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’ That’s pretty cool. I heard rumors of her coming back, but I never really knew the details. It’s really exciting to play with her and I’m really looking forward to it,” she explained.
Friendship with Alexandra Eala
The Canadian also spoke warmly about her friendship with Alexandra Eala. “Alex is a really nice girl. I’ve known her for a long time, but we got closer once we were both on tour. It’s important to find little joys when we’re always traveling and isolated. Sometimes it’s grabbing dinner or going to the café. She’s so charismatic and kind, and it’s very heartwarming,” Mboko said.
Admiration for Serena
Mboko admitted she has not spent much time with Williams yet but is already learning from her. “She’s a really funny person and spending time with her on court has been a pleasure. I feel like I can learn a lot from her, but at the same time we could have a lot of fun playing doubles. I really admire her a lot and I’m just really excited to step out with her,” she said.
Assessing Serena’s level
Asked about Williams’ form, Mboko was impressed. “She’s hitting great. She has such clean ball striking. She could probably take years off and once she steps on court she finds her rhythm again. I think she’s ready to go. She’s hitting pretty big and she’s really fit,” Mboko commented.
Idol growing up
Mboko reflected on her memories of watching Williams as a child. “My first memories are watching her on TV, probably the 2012 US Open. I also watched her a lot at the Rogers Cup, now the National Bank Open. She won almost every tournament she played, so she was an easy idol for me. Seeing her on TV versus talking to her in person is very different. She’s really nice, very relatable, and really funny. I found a lot of comfort with her,” she said.
Transition to grass
Mboko admitted she has limited experience on grass but is embracing the challenge. “I don’t mind the grass. Of course, sometimes it’s tough changing surfaces on the body, but I like new challenges. Training has been fun and it’s a fun surface, so I’m very excited,” she explained.
Handling attention and pressure
The Canadian acknowledged the attention surrounding her pairing with Williams. “When the news came out, a lot of people asked me about it, but honestly I’m just playing doubles. I still want to be competitive and do very well. Of course, there’s a little more pressure, but I don’t think Serena would put that on me. With doubles it’s really important to have fun,” Mboko said.
The press conference highlighted Mboko’s excitement, humility, and admiration for Serena Williams, as she prepares for her first appearance at Queen’s Club with one of the sport’s greatest champions.
Victoria Mboko in 2026
Now the world no.9 (career-high), the Canadian played her last match on the 30th of May when she was defeated by world no.19 Madison Keys 6-3 5-7 7-5 in the 3rd round of the French Open (draw).
At present, during this year Victoria has a 24-9 record. Victoria Mboko’s best accomplishment of the current season was getting to the final in Adelaide, Doha and Strasbourg.
