{"id":1806918,"date":"2026-03-04T19:30:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1806918"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:30:31","slug":"tennis-icon-warns-victoria-mboko-is-just-getting-started-after-meteoric-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1806918","title":{"rendered":"Tennis icon warns Victoria Mboko is &#8216;just getting started&#8217; after &#8216;meteoric&#8217; rise"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Tennis icon warns Victoria Mboko is \u2018just getting started\u2019 after \u2018meteoric\u2019 rise<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oli-dickson-jefford\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oli Dickson Jefford                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"04 Mar 2026 7:30 PM\" data-ps-date=\"04 Mar 2026 7:30 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1772652631\"><br \/>\n                            04 Mar 2026 7:30 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/navratilova-warns-victoria-mboko-just-getting-started-after-meteoric-rise\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a 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target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnavratilova-warns-victoria-mboko-just-getting-started-after-meteoric-rise\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a class=\"!text-share-icon hover:!text-share-icon-active flex items-center justify-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" aria-label=\"Follow Tennis365 on Google Search\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Tennis icon warns Victoria Mboko is \u2018just getting started\u2019 after \u2018meteoric\u2019 rise\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mboko-Navratilova-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Victoria Mboko and Martina Navratilova.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Victoria Mboko and tennis legend Martina Navratilova.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has heaped praise on Victoria Mboko following the Canadian\u2019s rapid rise up the WTA Rankings in recent months.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/victoria-mboko\">Mboko<\/a> is widely recognised as one of the brightest talents in women\u2019s tennis, and the 19-year-old has well and truly made a name for herself since the start of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old was ranked outside the top 300 at the start of 2025, though a string of ITF Tour titles saw her quickly progress up the WTA Rankings.<\/p>\n<p>After making her French Open and Wimbledon debuts last summer and cracking the top 100, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/prize-money-and-points-earned-by-victoria-mboko-and-naomi-osaka-in-montreal\">Mboko then soared to inside the top 30 after her stunning Canadian Open victory in August, beating four Grand Slam champions on her way to the WTA 1000 title<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/ranking-points-prize-money-earned-victoria-mboko-cristian-bucsa-hong-kong-open-final\">Mboko ended 2025 by winning her second WTA Tour title at the Hong Kong Open<\/a>, cracking the top 20 as a result.<\/p>\n<p>And, she has already reached the WTA 500 Adelaide International and WTA 1000 Qatar Open final in 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/victoria-mboko-karolina-muchovas-prize-money-ranking-points-qatar-open\">with the latter result seeing her crack the top 10 for the first time in her career<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many have predicted that the 19-year-old could be a future Grand Slam champion in the making, and tennis legend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/martina-navratilova\">Navratilova<\/a> is among those left impressed by the Canadian\u2019s progression.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to the <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wtatennis.com\/news\/4460105\/sunshine-double-preview-navratilova-sizes-up-sabalenka-swiatek-and-the-teenage-surge\" target=\"_blank\"><em>WTA Tour<\/em><\/a>, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion offered a glowing assessment of Mboko\u2019s key strengths and her progression within the sport.<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/coco-gauff-coach-stuck-middle-east-speaks-conflict-unnecessary\">Coco Gauff left worried as her coach is \u2018stuck\u2019 in Middle East amid \u2018unnecessary\u2019 conflict\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/facts-stats\/novak-djokovic-iga-swiatek-would-make-history-2026-indian-wells-victories\">Why Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek would make history with 2026 Indian Wells victories<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHer rise has been very meteoric, just crazy,\u201d said Navratilova.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s a great athlete and she doesn\u2019t have many weaknesses. Solid on both wings, moves well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHer biggest thing was being injured. She was strapped up like crazy at the Australian Open, in Doha, I thought she was going to default \u2014 and she kept winning \u2026 She\u2019s a competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think she embraces the challenge. And technically solid, there\u2019s nothing to break down in her game. Good shot selection. She\u2019s got choices. Her tennis IQ is working well \u2014 and she\u2019s just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Navratilova\u2019s comments come ahead of action in Indian Wells, with Mboko set to make her debut appearance at the tournament this coming fortnight.<\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old was not in qualifying action at the WTA 1000 event in 2025, but enters the main draw this year as the 10th seed \u2014 a further indicator of her progression within the game.<\/p>\n<p>As one of the 32 seeded players in the women\u2019s singles draw, Mboko receives a round-one bye in Indian Wells and will take on either Kimberly Birrell or Oksana Selekhmeteva in the second round.<\/p>\n<p>Mboko is then projected to face 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya in the third round, before a potential encounter with sixth seed and two-time Grand Slam finalist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/amanda-anisimova\">Amanda Anisimova<\/a> in round four.<\/p>\n<p>She will also be in doubles action in Indian Wells this fortnight, partnering with close friend \u2014 and emerging rival \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/mirra-andreeva\">Mirra Andreeva<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After Indian Wells, the Canadian is then set to make her debut at the Miami Open, the second half of the \u2018Sunshine Double\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/wta-indian-wells-predictions-sabalenka-and-rybakina-shine-as-gauff-swiatek-go-deep\">WTA Indian Wells Predictions: Sabalenka and Rybakina shine as Gauff, Swiatek go deep<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"kwizly-quiz kwizly-eEDrkX\" data-nosnippet=\"\" data-quiz-type=\"poll|mpu\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tennis icon warns Victoria Mboko is \u2018just getting started\u2019 after \u2018meteoric\u2019 rise Oli Dickson Jefford 04 Mar 2026 7:30 PM Victoria Mboko and tennis legend Martina Navratilova. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has heaped praise on Victoria Mboko following the Canadian\u2019s rapid rise up the WTA Rankings in recent months. Mboko is widely recognised as one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1806918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1806918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806918\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1806918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1806918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1806918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}