On Thursday, Victoria Mboko found out her Australian Open first round opponent.
Mboko, who won the 2025 WTA Breakthrough Player of the Year Award, will face young Australian star Emerson Jones, who recently responded to Ashleigh Barty comparisons.
Last year, Mboko became a household name on the Tour within the space of a fortnight after defeating four Grand Slam champions on her way to the 2025 Canadian Open title – an achievement for which she was congratulated by Coco Gauff and Billie Jean King.
The Canadian has started the new year positively, defeating Madison Keys on Thursday to reach the Adelaide Open semi-finals.
However, Mboko is yet to seriously challenge for Grand Slam honours, which is no slight considering her young age.
Who are your favourites for the 2026 Australian Open title?
Credit: Sofascore
This year, the 19-year-old could be a surprise contender for the major honours, as conveyed by Greg Rusedski.
Greg Rusedski says Victoria Mboko could be a threat at Grand Slam events in 2026
Greg Rusedski, the former British number one, has weighed in on Victoria Mboko’s first round match against Emerson Jones.
“In the women’s looking forward to [Victoria] Mboko,” said Rusedski.
“She was my pick to be the breakthrough player on the WTA [Tour] threatening at Slams, going deep.
“She plays the number one junior in the world last year, which is the Australian Emerson Jones, everybody is talking about her.
“I don’t think Emerson is quite ready, but these are probably two young stars we’re going to look forward to in the future.”
Jones, a former junior world number one, has been widely touted as the next Australian women’s tennis star.
The 17-year-old has been compared to Ashleigh Barty; a player who won three Grand Slam titles before her shock retirement in 2022.
As for Mboko, she is one of the brightest young talents on the Tour, alongside the likes of Alexandra Eala, Mirra Andreeva and Maya Joint.
Which round can Alexandra Eala reach at the Australian Open?
Despite her young age, Mboko possesses the weapons to challenge any player on the WTA Tour, making her a threat – as Greg Rusedski suggests – at Grand Slam tournaments.
Victoria Mboko’s Australian Open draw
If Mboko defeats Emerson Jones, she will face American player Caty McNally or qualifier Himeno Sakatsume.
The 17th seed would then likely face Clara Tauson, the 14th seed who reached the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships final.
From there, Mboko’s draw becomes extremely tough. The Canadian star would likely meet Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round; the world number one and two-time Australian Open champion.
From there, Mboko could face Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals, Coco Gauff in the semi-finals and Iga Swiatek in the final.
