QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 8, 2026

Victoria Mboko

Press Conference

V. MBOKO/M. Bouzkova

7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Vicky, congratulations. Talk about your match and your first time here in Doha.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, well, I would say it's a pretty good start to the tournament here. First time playing here. A really great player today against Marie Bouzkova. So really glad to have gotten the win today and, yeah, just keep moving forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A few months ago you had just won your first 1000, and here tonight anchoring the night match, being the higher-ranked player. Just your reaction to getting that court assignment, and just how it felt out there being sort of the headliner tonight?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I feel like it's not something I'm used to where I'm the top player in the tournament. So I guess it's good for me to try to adapt to that and try to get used to it because it's going to be the case more in the recent tournaments now.

Honestly, when I'm going into a match I just think of it as any other match. I know everyone's really good, so I really want to bring my A game every match I play, and that's just the mentality that I have.

Q. You had some time off in between Australian Open and now. What were some of the things that you were focusing on, and how do you think they were implemented tonight?

VICTORIA MBOKO: I think for me I was kind of more focused on just resting. I feel like, I mean, it was only three tournaments, but it feels like I've been playing a lot of matches. I did not have that much of a rest time between Adelaide and Australian Open. When I finished, I kind of just wanted to have time for myself to kind of wind down.

There's not that much time between the tournaments, so I wouldn't say that I was targeting something, working on something before coming here. I think implementing what I think I need to work on in the matches can help me improve anyways, so that's how I see it.

Q. Week after week you're going into matches against players who you never played before. How do you prepare yourself for those matches, obviously being relatively new on the tour? Do you watch a lot of tape on them, or do you let your team deal with that?

VICTORIA MBOKO: I don't really like watching tennis that much. I'm not one to watch a lot of my opponent, unless I feel like it. Generally most people I play I'm going to be playing them for the first time because I haven't played enough matches on the WTA tour.

But for preparing for matches, I think it's just, I like to focus on what I need to do in the match and, yeah, I think that's just how I go into the match with it.

Q. Just a few additional weeks since the Australian Open, curious how your perspective of the experience of playing the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, how that might have evolved, and how you reflect now on that match?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I think that's an opportunity that not many people get to have, so I was really grateful to play against Aryna. Yeah, she plays really great tennis, and she is showing the reason why she's No. 1.

I think to challenge her and try to play against her was really fun. Playing on my first ever Grand Slam center court, that was super cool. A lot was happening in the moment, and that was really a new experience for me, but I'm glad to have done it because it's a big learning curve, and knowing what I can do to be better in those situations next time.

Q. If 2025 can be labeled as your breakthrough season, it's been 11 months now that you've been on the main tour, what would you want 2026 to be labeled at in your head?

VICTORIA MBOKO: I mean, I feel like sometimes I like to, I don't like to put pressure on myself, but I feel like no matter where I am, every year I try to be better, be a better version of myself the next year. Honestly, I just want to enjoy myself, my time on the tour, being grateful to be on the WTA tour, of course. Yeah, I think the results will come after. Who knows, maybe it could be better than last year. It was a pretty insane year last year, but you never know what the future has in store, so, yeah.

Q. It's your first year on the tour, second year on the tour, on the main tour. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. I feel like I kind of already played people who I was wanting to play growing up. I mean, playing world No. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.

But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. Yeah, there's not someone in particular.