AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2026

Victoria Mboko

Press Conference

V. MBOKO/C. Tauson

7-6, 5-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Victoria, congratulations. You're into the fourth round. Talk us through your thoughts on the match, how you're feeling right now.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, well, today was a pretty difficult match today against Clara. Going into the match, I knew I had to really fight hard. I know she's a really great ball-striker. I just wanted to make sure I was in there with her as much as I possibly could.

She had a lot of good rallies and good shots. She saved a couple match points in the match. I was glad to have turned it around and found my composure to take it at the end of the day.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I'm sure when you were setting goals in the pre-season making the second week of a Grand Slam was probably one of them. How does it feel to achieve that so early in the season?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I didn't really expect that. I feel like sometimes I just say things just to say it, just throw it out there.

But no, every tournament I play I always want to do well. To be here, it's my first-ever fourth round in a Grand Slam. It's my first time playing the Australian Open. This is a really cool experience.

Not much, I didn't have any expectations on myself since I'd never been here before. But it's really cool to have played so many matches on stadiums. Yeah, it's just been a lot of fun.

Q. Next up Aryna Sabalenka. How does that sit with you?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I think it's super cool. I've never played a current No. 1 in the world. That's going to be a very different experience.

I assume we'd be playing on Rod Laver, as well. I've never played on a Grand Slam center court either. A lot of firsts.

I'm just really excited. It's something not many people get to experience. To be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool. Just to show what I got.

Q. Because you're still relatively new to this sort of stage, Grand Slam tournaments generally, how are you finding the rhythms of a Grand Slam tournament? How do you feel physically and emotionally coming into this match?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, I've been playing a lot of matches prior to coming here, so I think it's been nice to get a lot of matches in, getting some rhythm.

It helps sometimes when you have a day off in between to just rest and have your body relax. I am also entered in doubles, so it's not quite the case for me.

But I like it so far. Then again, it's also my first experience playing this tournament. I haven't played a lot of Grand Slams yet. I'm just taking it day by day and having fun.

Q. It's your first Australian Open. You're already a top-20 seed. Why have you been able to adapt to this level so quickly?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, everyone is really good, anyway. So playing a lot of high-quality tennis players I think just prepares you with the ball striking. A lot more people have more experience than I do. So whether you win or lose, I think learning a lot can come into play.

I haven't had a full season yet on the WTA Tour, but so far having been playing a lot of matches, I think it's just helped me adapt. I mean, I'm always going to play someone older than me, they've been playing longer than I have. Yeah, I think it's those experiences that get me through.

Q. You and some other young players have had good results this week. Any common quality that unites you guys? Aryna was saying how she thought you seem a lot more mature than she was at that age. If there is a unifying quality?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, there's a lot of us, or like teenagers, on the tour who are actually still in the tournament right now. I think it's really nice to see. I've known a lot of them for such a long time, played against them in the juniors.

It's a really nice thing to see. I always want them to do well and vice versa. Honestly, I don't feel like I'm that much more mature or anything (smiling). I think coming onto this early can make you more mature in a way. You just learn a lot more things quicker. Yeah, you just learn a lot from other experiences.

Q. You were talking earlier about the firsts. Your rise over the last 12 months on paper looks so smooth. Have there been any firsts so far that you have encountered in the last 12 months that have been trickier, a challenge? Do you feel when these new things come, it's been relatively smooth?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, well, like you said, I feel like there's levels to many things. Not every trajectory is just going to be upwards. You're going to have moments where you're kind of not doing well, or you're struggling a little bit, but that's all a part of the learning process.

For the long-term, of course, I want to continue to do well. I want to compete at the highest level. So I think playing a lot of matches, learning from losses, I think sometimes it's important to lose to really get it in your head that you have a new experience. The next time you encounter it, you know kind of what to do or what not to do.

I think overall that makes you a better player. There's so many girls that have a lot of experience. They've just been in those situations more, they know how to handle it, whether it's mentally, physically. It's just the way you can take it and learn on and improve yourself. I think that's a good way to improve yourself.

Q. You were just talking about losses. There's some specifically that you can recall? What did you learn from that? What was your takeaway from those?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, well, I mean, every week, as long as you're winning every tournament, you're going to lose every week. I think especially last year, and of course this year still, I think every single loss I've had I've tried to improve from it.

I mean, there's not many that stand out more than the others. Some things, whether it's physically I wasn't feeling great, or mentally I wasn't that more invested into the match. It happens so many times where sometimes it just wasn't so positive for myself, or I physically wasn't that active in the match.

That's something I could learn for the next time, and say I needed to improve my fitness, I needed to stay more calm in these moments because it can be stressful sometimes in the match. You want to win really badly.

Yeah, I think there's nothing that stands out more than the others. I think every loss I've had I've tried to improve from it.

Q. Do you talk to your coach or your dad? Who do you talk to about this? Maybe you journal.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, for me, when I start my training blocks, especially the training blocks, I try to say my fitness, for example. I want to have more stamina on the court. I want to last longer.

I think when it comes to training, I try to put myself in those difficult situations that I would experience in a match so that I could try to overcome it.

Q. You announced that you signed on with Rolex. What does it mean to you, fans, media, a luxury brand to see your potential? What do you look for in a watch?

VICTORIA MBOKO: I don't really look for much in a watch (smiling).

No, I mean, it's a great thing to be a part of. It's a family. Being a part of something so big, associated with something like that, I mean, it comes with a lot of sponsors, too. I don't really put more pressure on myself just because something comes. I'm still the same person.

I just like to focus on things on the court, you know? It's what you do on court that kind of gets you stuff off the court. So as long as I'm invested in what I'm doing on the court, invested in matches and training, then everything else comes after.

Q. Can you recall your earliest Australian Open memory as a kid?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, maybe just watching on the TV. I know I was here in 2022, I was a junior. I made the finals of doubles. That was really cool. That was also my first-ever Grand Slam experience in the juniors.

I just remember seeing the site, seeing the atmosphere, just being so happy to be there. I think that's how I go into every tournament, regardless of how big it is. I'm just really happy to be there. It's a privilege to be here.

Yeah, it's pretty good memories.