Victoria Mboko's Most Urgent Need

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Victoria Mboko has closed the season of her 19th birthday inside the top 20 worldwide, a resounding success that deserves some reflection. There is no one better than her own coach, Nathalie Tauziat, to explain the keys of the project.

Behind a great player, there is always a great coach. This holds true in 99% of cases, and with Victoria Mboko and Nathalie Tauziat, there is no exception. The Canadian has excelled this season, jumping from #336 to #18 in the world rankings, a massive leap that can be breathtaking. Her coach provided a brief analysis in an interview with Clay on how she experienced the triumph at the WTA 1000 in Montreal or which areas need the most urgent improvement for the next season.

But first, let's remember the risks the world of sports faces when a major triumph is achieved unexpectedly. No matter how good one is on the court, they may not be prepared to handle the sweet taste of success. This was a concern for everyone when Victoria Mboko defeated top players this summer at the WTA 1000 in Montreal, reaching her first final as a professional and embracing a title she will never forget. Still a teenager, no one knew how she would navigate through all that media frenzy.

"I have not noticed any change in her at all," acknowledges her coach, dispelling the doubt quickly. "The tournament in Canada was very important; we all knew she would receive a wild card into the main draw, so performing well there was one of the big goals of the season. Then she managed to go much further than we could have expected. It was moments of great happiness; the key was always to think about the next match, about what was coming the next day. Now we need to set even bigger goals; she is already in the top 20 worldwide, but she needs to improve her game a lot," states the Frenchwoman, who once was World No. 3.

"She needs to work on many aspects, such as her serve, forehand, backhand... in the end, it's the usual things; at her age, we need to improve her overall game, every aspect. Additionally, she needs to improve a lot physically, refine certain details that can be enhanced regarding movement, but we have time ahead. She is a girl who knows how to listen, and that's important, that she feels we are truly working on things that are good for her," affirms the 1998 Wimbledon runner-up.

Tauziat's experience has been essential to witness Mboko's takeoff, who, if there weren't already enough, still managed to close the season by lifting her second professional title in Hong Kong, reminding everyone that her success in Montreal was no fluke. This triumph allowed her to finish the season inside the top 20, establishing herself as the best player from her country at only 19 years old. Quite an achievement for someone who started the season competing in ITF tournaments outside the top 300 of the rankings.

"She has learned to be more patient, not to just hit the ball for the sake of hitting," emphasizes Tauziat, who interacts with her daily. "She has improved a lot tactically; now she waits for the right ball when attacking, understanding that she should not hit so hard when not well positioned. She prefers to play a deeper and longer ball, waiting for the ideal opportunity. She always wants to be aggressive; that's her natural game, so we won't change that, but we will add a bit more control," she adds.

The key to success for Victoria Mboko in 2026

Now that everyone knows her, the challenge is to reach 2026 and continue playing the card of surprise in her favor. Although the next calendar is nothing like the one we leave behind, starting with a status within the locker room that will make her play always at the top, debuting for the first time in many events unknown until now.

"It is important to design the right schedule; she is still a very young girl, just turned 19. For her, it is very challenging to compete every week. We need to manage schedules well and give her time to recover properly after each tournament. It will be a bit more difficult now because, with the ranking she has, she can enter directly into all the big tournaments, so we must be smart," assures Nathalie, who managed to reach the second week of all four majors as a player.

In fact, the whole team embraces the humility of being newcomers. This is why Tauziat holds in her mind some clear examples of rivals she would like to resemble in the future. "I like Cori Gauff's mentality; she is a fighter on the court. I saw her at Roland Garros, and she played very smart in the final. I don't know Emma Navarro as much, but I really like her game; she can do everything. I also want to mention Jasmine Paolini; I love her temperament and enjoy watching her play," concludes the Frenchwoman.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La mayor urgencia de Victoria Mboko