Rising Canada star Mboko credits family for keeping her grounded
The 18-year-old qualifier defeated German world number 59 Eva Lys 6-4, 6-4 in the last 64 of the French Open to set up a third-round meeting with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
Cheering 120th-ranked Mboko on from the stands in Paris were her father and two of her older siblings -- both of whom are tennis players.
"Here with me it's my father, my sister, and my brother," she told her post-match press conference.
"My two siblings are older than me, a lot older than me. So I feel like they have had a lot more experience in tennis than I have, even though I have played I think a higher level than them.
"Yeah, they are all very so supportive of me, and they're so positive every single day in all the matches I play... I feel like my family has been doing a good job of keeping me really, like, I guess, isolated from it all. I have just been enjoying the moment."
Mboko was born in the United States to parents fleeing political turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo, before settling in Toronto.
"My father, I feel like he's made a lot of sacrifices for me, so I'm grateful that he's here, as well," she added.
"He's retired now, but, you know, when I was training a lot, he was working night shifts so he could be at every single one of my practices, especially when I was a junior.
"He was very, I guess, like, strict with my tennis, I could say. Yeah, I mean, he's done so much to help me develop and try to bring me to really great trainings and coaches.
"Many of this wouldn't have been possible without him."
Mboko has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the rankings this season and made her WTA 1000 event debut as a wildcard at the Miami Open in March. She then qualified for the Italian Open earlier in May.
She fell in both tournaments at the second-round stage to top-15 opponents in the shape of Paula Badosa and then Coco Gauff.
Now in her maiden major appearance, the teenager has bettered that record by gliding into the third round without dropping a set, but once again faces a top opponent when she will take on eighth seed Zheng.
But Mboko said she is ready for the challenge.
"I mean, she's top 10, you know. So that's, like, already a big thing overall," she said.
"She's beaten so many great players. She's also an incredible athlete.
"I'm expecting a big fight. I'm going to bring out a big fight against her... It's going to be a very hard battle."
© 2025 AFP
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