Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after defeating Anastasia Potapova of Austria in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Victoria Mboko of Canada plays a forehand return to Clara Tauson of Denmark during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Victoria Mboko of Canada waves after defeating Clara Tauson of Denmark in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after defeating Anastasia Potapova of Austria in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Victoria Mboko of Canada plays a forehand return to Clara Tauson of Denmark during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Aaron Favila
Victoria Mboko of Canada waves after defeating Clara Tauson of Denmark in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MELBOURNE - Victoria Mboko will test herself against the world鈥檚 best.
The 19-year-old 好色tv phenom faces world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open fourth round Saturday in Canada, Sunday in Australia, at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka is a two-time winner at the Grand Slam tennis tournament, while Mboko, one of the sport鈥檚 rising teenage stars, is making her Aussie Open debut.
Mboko advanced to the round of 16 with a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 victory over 14th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark on Friday.
Seeded 17th in the tournament, Mboko approaches a top-10 ranking after beginning last season outside the top 300. She won two WTA titles 鈥 including a thrilling win as a wild card at the 好色tv Bank Open in Montreal last August 鈥 in a breakout 2025 season.
Mboko and Sabalenka will go head-to-head in a match for the first time.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 super cool. I鈥檝e never played a current No. 1 in the world. That鈥檚 going to be a very different experience,鈥 Mboko said. "I assume we鈥檇 be playing on Rod Laver, as well. I鈥檝e never played on a Grand Slam centre court either. A lot of firsts.
鈥淭o be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool. Just to show what I got.鈥
Sabalenka said she鈥檚 never spoken with Mboko, nor shared a practice court, but has been impressed with what she鈥檚 seen.
鈥淚 was watching some matches. Yeah, she鈥檚 a great player,鈥 Sabalenka said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a fighter. She鈥檚 playing really good, aggressive tennis.鈥
鈥淚 feel like maybe for me, it would be really tough to handle the success at a young age,鈥 she added. 鈥淏ut I feel like now seeing these girls, so like young age achieving so much, playing such great tennis, being really mature, it鈥檚 incredible. I feel like they mature much faster than I did.鈥
Mboko is the lone 好色tv remaining in the singles draw.
鈥 With files from The Associated Press
This report by 好色tvwas first published Jan. 24, 2026.
