Roddick Surrenders to Mboko: "He Will Win a Grand Slam in the Next Two Years"
The former world number 1 showered praise on the Canadian, predicting a bright future for her and seeing her winning a Grand Slam in the short term.
Victoria Mboko continues to confirm herself as one of the great breakthroughs on the women's circuit and is no longer unnoticed by anyone. Her growth in recent months has led top tennis figures to envision a bright future for the Canadian.
The latest to do so was Andy Roddick. The former world number 1 and US Open 2003 champion did not hesitate to make a strong prediction about the 19-year-old, who currently holds her best career ranking at number 9 in the world after reaching the quarterfinals in Indian Wells.
Roddick has no doubt: “She will win a Grand Slam”
The American left no room for doubt in his podcast Served about Mboko's potential. "Mboko will win a Grand Slam in the next two years. I needed to say it out loud," he affirmed. The former world number 1 bases his prediction on the consistency that the Canadian is showing despite her young age. "She plays well every week. We talk about Sabalenka because she's in contention in all tournaments, and Mboko isn't there yet, but if you take her breakthrough from last year, some injuries... maybe she ended the year with ups and downs. This year she's reaching quarterfinals or better in practically every tournament."
The former tennis player also highlighted her competitive ability, especially in demanding matches. "She wins many tough three-set matches, and when she starts turning those wins into clearer two-set victories, which she will... she's only been on the circuit for eight months." Additionally, he downplayed the impact of her losses to top-level opponents. "Losing to Sabalenka doesn't concern me at all. She's a work in progress. She's physically strong and can handle the demands of high-level tennis. She impresses me more and more. She doesn't need to play her best tennis to win matches," he stated.
For Roddick, Mboko's evolution is just a matter of time. The American even sets a deadline for his prediction. "Give me until late 2028, but I think she will win a Grand Slam."
The challenge of turning potential into major titles
Mboko's rise has been as rapid as it has been solid. At the beginning of 2025, she was outside the top 300, but her title at the WTA 1000 in Canada, where she defeated four Grand Slam champions along the way, marked a definitive turning point in her career.
Since then, she has maintained an upward trajectory, despite some physical issues after that success. She ended 2025 by winning the title in Hong Kong and has started 2026 with an impressive consistency, reaching finals in Adelaide and Doha, in addition to notable quarterfinals in Indian Wells, where she lost to Sabalenka. Roddick precisely highlights that ability to compete even without playing her best. "She doesn't need to play her best tennis to win matches. She's very good even when she doesn't perform well in early rounds, but still reaches the quarters. That's very important for a young player."
With the Miami Open as an immediate challenge, the Canadian continues to gain experience on the big stages. In Florida, she starts as the tenth seed, and she's already in the third round after crushing Blinkova in just 1 hour (6-2, 6-0). For now, Mboko keeps taking firm steps. And if Roddick's words come true, the final leap towards the highest echelons of women's tennis is getting closer.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Roddick se rinde a Mboko: “Va a ganar un Grand Slam en los próximos dos años”