Victoria Mboko’s coach Nathalie Tauziat has backed her player’s US Open chances as she discussed the Canadian’s decision to pull out of the Cincinnati Open.
Teen star Mboko stunned the tennis world with her epic Canadian Open triumph this past week, rallying from a set down to beat Naomi Osaka in the final.
Ranked 85th in the world coming into her home event, having needed a wildcard to enter the draw, the 18-year-old has now surged up to a staggering new career-high of world No 24.
That is more than enough for Mboko to be seeded at the US Open towards the end of August, in what will be her third Grand Slam appearance.
The Canadian came through qualifying to make her Grand Slam debut at the French Open, reaching round three, before making the second round of Wimbledon as a lucky loser.
Mboko beat four Grand Slam champions, including Osaka, to triumph in Montreal, though she will not play between her win and her maiden US Open main-draw appearance.
The Canadian was initially given a special exemption into the second round of the Cincinnati Open, the second of two back-to-back hard-court WTA 1000 events held on North American hard courts.
However, having nursed a wrist injury towards the end of her successful Montreal campaign, Mboko ultimately withdrew from the tournament in Ohio.
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Mboko’s career is currently being guided by the hugely experienced Tauziat, a former world No 3 and runner-up at Wimbledon in 1998.
Having previously worked with Canadian stars such as Eugenie Bouchard, Leylah Fernandez, and Bianca Andreescu, Tauziat has a wealth of knowledge to bring to Mboko’s burgeoning career.
And the Frenchwoman has now revealed that holding the long-term goal of the US Open was key to the teen star’s decision to ultimately not head to Cincinnati, and instead rest.
“After Roland Garros, when we defined the schedule up to the US Open, we set some goals,” said Tauziat.
“Based on the way she’s playing, we know she’s capable of doing something big in New York. We want to focus 100% on that tournament, arriving well prepared and injury-free.
“After Montreal, it was vital to manage the schedule well, which is why we’re not going to Cincinnati.”
Mboko has never contested a senior match in New York but contested the girls’ singles event as a junior back in 2022.
The Canadian progressed all the way to the last four, before falling to eventual champion – and fellow 2025 breakout star – Alex Eala.
With Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa already out of the US Open, Mboko is currently projected to be the 22nd seed at the US Open, though her ranking could change depending on results in Cincinnati this week.
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The post Victoria Mboko’s coach explains Cincinnati Open decision as she sends out US Open warning appeared first on Tennis365.
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