Melbourne
Victoria Mboko’s Australian Open debut continues to unfold just as she had hoped, with the Canadian booking her place in the third round at AO 2026 on Wednesday.
The 17th seed overcame American Caty McNally 6-4, 6-3 at 1573 Arena, showing resilience after falling behind early in the second set. Mboko reeled off six consecutive games from a 0-3 deficit to seal the victory.
“I really had to fight hard today,” said the 19-year-old. “She was playing really great tennis, so I just tried to take it point by point and not focus too much on the score.
“There were a lot of Canadians in the crowd, too. They gave me a lot of motivation and support, and I think they really helped me push through the match.”
Mboko has been playing in Melbourne with her right leg heavily wrapped as a precaution after hyperextending her knee at last week’s Adelaide International, where she reached the final. She explained that the support is helping keep her knee stable as the tournament progresses.
Next up, Mboko will face 14th seed Clara Tauson in a first-time meeting on Friday. The Dane advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Polina Kudermetova.
“I know she’s very aggressive,” Mboko said. “She’s a hard hitter, and I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Also moving into the third round is Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina, who fired 28 winners in a 7-5, 6-1 win over Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova at John Cain Arena.
“It’s never easy to play somebody you don’t know and who is new on tour,” said the three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist. “Linda played really well and was striking the ball big in the first set.”
