Victoria Mboko‘s dream run at the Canadian Open is nothing short of a phenomenon. The teenage sensation, in her home event, has emerged like an unstoppable force. The 18-year-old proved it when she bested this season’s French Open queen, Coco Gauff. “You play a tournament because you want to win it. So, I think I just had that kind of mentality.” Rightfully so. After claiming a place in her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal in Montreal, Mboko will fancy her chances to actually enter the summit clash and lift that coveted trophy. However, she’s yet to reach there. At the moment, a major challenge named Elena Rybakina is waiting for her next.

While fans must be curious to see how the awaited encounter between Rybakina and Mboko turns out, it’s perhaps the best time for them to know more about the Canadian tennis sensation.

Where is Victoria Mboko from and what is her nationality?

Mboko was born in August 2006, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her family roots are connected to the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the family moved to North Carolina due to war and political instability at home. After two months after Mboko’s birth, her parents once again made a shift—a permanent one. They eventually settled in Canada by moving to Toronto, Canada. Since then, she’s been living there only, having a Canadian nationality.

What is Victoria Mboko’s ethnicity and religion?

Mboko’s parents Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi, originally hail from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In other words, Mboko is of Black African descent, mainly Congolese, while also being a proud Canadian. Regarding her religious affiliation, no specific details about her religious beliefs or practices have been publicly disclosed as of now.

In the 1990s, father Cyprien and mother Godee moved away from the home country due to political turmoil and decided to initially settle in North Carolina before opting to choose Canadian citizenship.

It was Cyprien who initially inspired all of his children to take up the racket sport. Simply because he had a passion for tennis himself, after watching icons like Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. “I have been watching tennis since I was very young. My friend and I, back home in the Congo, would watch Agassi, Courier, Graf and all the other great players,” he previously told OnTennis magazine in September 2021.  “Tennis was good exercise for our children, but I must have bought about 1000 balls from Walmart and they all seemed to end up in the bushes.”

Victoria Mboko’s family background and heritage

Mboko is the youngest among her siblings. She has an older sister named Gracia and two older brothers named Kevin and David. While Gracia earned a tennis scholarship from the University of Denver, Kevin played at Edinboro University. Third youngest sibling, David, also showed promising signs early in his career. Unfortunately, he had to step away due to an issue with his eyesight. Currently, he’s pursuing a computer science degree and will soon be graduating from the University of Toronto.

Reflecting on all of her children embracing tennis at a young age, Victoria Mboko’s mother, Godee, previously revealed, “My kids started training at Players Edge at the Aviva Centre with Marc Assaraf and Bill Cowan. Then I met Pierre Lamarche, who suggested we could move to Burlington to train at his academy, Ace Tennis. We moved there in 2010,” reported OnTennis.

Mboko’s oldest sister, Gracia, once mentioned how the now 18-year-old teen sensation was destined to be a tennis player. “It almost seems like Vicky was born on a tennis court because our parents were always there when we were practicing or playing and Vicky would be with them. She would wander on court and my friends and I would show her how to hold a racquet, play with her and teach her.”

Seems like those words have come out true, given how incredible Victoria Mboko’s performance has been in the last week. After securing her first-ever semifinal spot in a 1000-level event, the young WTA star would like to continue her fairytale run. Against a formidable opponent like Rybakina—who has bested her earlier this season—she will look to take sweet revenge and enter the summit clash. What are your thoughts on her prospects to win the Canadian Open title? Let us know in the comments below.