Canada’s teenage sensation Victoria Mboko continues to ride a wave of magic in Montreal, etching another milestone in her electrifying 2025 breakthrough. On Thursday night at the Omnium Banque Nationale, the fearless 18-year-old stunned Czech star Marie Bouzkova to storm into the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. With that, Mboko becomes just the fifth 18-year-old in the past decade to reach this stage on Canadian soil, joining elite company: Belinda Bencic, Catherine Cartan Bellis, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff, her next formidable foe. But behind this meteoric rise stands a mastermind: 57-year-old French coach Nathalie Tauziat. And it’s time to meet the tennis tactician driving this teenage dream.

Who is Victoria Mboko’s coach, Nathalie Tauziat?

Victoria Mboko has become Canada’s newest tennis storm, a fiery 18-year-old sensation from Burlington, Ontario, blazing her trail through the WTA ranks in 2025. Born in North Carolina and raised on Canadian soil, she roared from outside the Top 300 to crash the WTA Top 100 by spring. Her rise? Fueled by relentless grit, jaw-dropping wins on the ITF circuit, and fearless runs in Miami, Rome, and now Montreal.

Behind this rising powerhouse stands Nathalie Tauziat, a force of her own. The former world No. 3 and 1998 Wimbledon finalist took Mboko under her wing earlier this year. Since then, the French tactician has sharpened her game, dialing up her slices, net instincts, and strategic muscle. She travels with Mboko now, molding her not just into a hitter but a hunter, crafty, calculated, and ever-adaptable on the court.

But this isn’t a one-woman mission. At the core of Mboko’s meteoric rise is a full-fledged team led by Tennis Canada’s Noelle van Lottum. With experts handling fitness, long-term strategy, and mental prep from their Toronto base, Mboko stands firm, evolving match by match. This isn’t just a breakout, it’s the rise of a generational talent, crafted for greatness.

About Victoria Mboko’s coach Nathalie Tauziat and her career

Nathalie Tauziat stands tall as a symbol of grit and greatness, now guiding Victoria Mboko’s thunderous rise with her battle-tested brilliance. A former world No. 3 and 1998 Wimbledon finalist, Tauziat knows every inch of the warzone that is pro tennis. 

Her résumé glistens with eight WTA singles titles, 25 doubles crowns, and runner-up finishes at the US Open and WTA Finals. After hanging up her racket in 2003, she stepped into the coaching world with the same sharp edge, mentoring Canadian stars like Eugenie Bouchard and Aleksandra Wozniak before locking in with Mboko in 2025.

What Tauziat brings isn’t just pedigree, it’s philosophy. Built on deep respect, sharp focus, and tactical evolution, her coaching digs beneath brute force. She’s shaping Mboko into an all-court beast, tightening slices, sharpening net instincts, and raising match IQ. Her style blends precision with presence: structured sessions, relentless drive, and a calm, commanding aura that steadies the teenage storm.

The impact of coaching on Mboko’s breakthrough season

Nathalie Tauziat has become the architect behind Victoria Mboko’s 2025 surge, sculpting raw talent into a rising force. With the poise of a former world No. 3 and Wimbledon finalist, Tauziat travels alongside Mboko, offering piercing tactical clarity and elite-level craft at every stop. Her presence isn’t passive, it’s precise, sharpening slices, cleaning up net play, and turning Mboko’s fierce baseline game into a smarter, fuller arsenal.

This hands-on mastery has lit a fire under Mboko’s breakout season. She stormed from outside the Top 300 into the WTA Top 100, powered by a dominant 33–3 record across circuits. Under Tauziat’s eye, every match has built not just victory, but a fearless rhythm, grounded in preparation, dripping with self-belief, and tuned to thrive under pressure.

Building a winning environment–the broader support team

Victoria Mboko’s rise isn’t a solo act; it’s a symphony of support led by Tennis Canada’s Noëlle van Lottum. This carefully curated environment surrounds her with minds that mold champions. From strategic masterminds to strength and fitness pros, every detail of her development is calculated, structured, and fine-tuned. 

Van Lottum steers the ship with long-term vision, while elite trainers in Toronto build her body into a weapon of endurance and precision. Injury prevention isn’t just routine, it’s religion. Recovery protocols, gym work, tailored drills, they fuse science with discipline. Together, they’ve built not just a player, but a fortress. A fortress ready for war on the world stage.

However, the real test now awaits as Victoria Mboko faces World No. 2 Coco Gauff in a high-stakes clash at the Canadian Open. Can the rising star harness her home advantage and stun the two-time Grand Slam champion? Or will Gauff’s experience and firepower overpower the teenage prodigy, despite the roaring home crowd behind her?