Mboko channels nostalgia to top Andreescu in Tokyo
In a swift Canadian showdown, Victoria Mboko ends her winless streak with clean strokes and court familiarity, setting sights on a deeper run at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Victoria Mboko’s breakthrough in Montreal last summer crowned the 18-year-old as Canada’s rising force, her WTA 1000 title a highlight amid home cheers. Yet four straight first-round losses followed, against opponents like two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova and world No. 10 Ekaterina Alexandrova, stirring doubts about her staying power. On the center court in Tokyo—familiar from April’s Billie Jean King Cup wins—she faced compatriot Bianca Andreescu in the first round, turning the venue’s echoes into fuel for a 6-3, 6-3 victory in 1 hour and 15 minutes, her first win since that triumph.
Navigating post-title pressures
A wrist injury from Montreal lingered, disrupting her rhythm in those tough draws and amplifying whispers of a fluke run. Mboko stayed composed, drawing on quiet resolve to refocus amid the scrutiny. The irony of her slump hitting just before her 19th birthday added a layer, but she channeled the court’s history to shake off the weight.
She reflected on the emotional pull of the venue.
“Playing here kind of made me think back to April,” Mboko said after the match. “I had a really great week and had a lot of fun playing on this court. When I was walking back out (today), I had the same feeling. It brought me some nostalgia, and I felt really happy to be here. To play on center court is always really nice.”
Executing clean rallies indoors
From the start, Mboko seized control, breaking early for a 3-0 lead in the first set with inside-out forehands that stretched Andreescu’s defense. She wrapped the opener in 35 minutes, blending crosscourt backhands with down-the-line passes to keep errors low at 18 against 20 winners. Her serve anchored the effort, landing nearly 70 percent of first balls and winning 77 percent of those points, while Andreescu’s single break couldn’t spark a comeback.
In the second set, Mboko broke at 2-2 on a forehand winner, then held through steady one–two combinations that pinned her opponent deep on the medium-fast indoor hardcourts. The enclosed air amplified each shot’s crack, building tension as she extended her lead without trailing once. This precision outshone Andreescu in winners and unforced errors alike, reclaiming momentum on a surface that rewarded her flat, penetrating groundstrokes.
Back in business 💼
Mboko defeats Andreescu to reach the Round of 16 in Tokyo 💪#TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/RhAn8BDr89— wta (@WTA) October 21, 2025
For the latest on scores, draw, and order of play in Tokyo, the tournament updates capture the unfolding action. The official WTA post from October 21, 2025, highlighted her advance to the round of 16, tying into the #TorayPPO energy around the event.
Eyeing a quarterfinal push
Next up is Eva Lys, fresh off a 6-2, 6-1 rout of Katie Boulter in under an hour, marking her second straight quarterfinal bid after Beijing. Mboko holds the edge from their lone meeting, a 6-4, 6-4 win at Roland Garros on clay, but Tokyo’s quicker pace demands sharper depth control against Lys’s flat strokes. A victory here would mark just her second WTA quarterfinal, building on Montreal’s glow and signaling sustained growth.
The derby win lifts her ranking prospects, potentially toward the top 40 by season’s end on these hardcourts previewing the Australian swing. Mboko’s adjustments—like varying spin on serves to disrupt returns—highlight her maturation, blending tactical smarts with the mental edge forged in pressure. As she prepares, sustaining this focus could turn rediscovery into a defining run, where every point echoes her burgeoning command.
