Victoria Mboko received a very special recognition in her hometown as the Canadian tennis star was presented with the key to the city of Burlington, Ontario.
Mboko, who finished her breakout season sitting at a career-high ranking of No. 18 and as the highest-ranked Canadian female tennis player, was born in Charlotte. However, she didn't stay too long in the United States since her family moved to Canada when she was just two years old.
In late July, Mboko - who was ranked at No. 85 at the time - received a wildcard for a WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, Ontario. You probably know what happened next as the 19-year-old went on to become a WTA 1000 champion in an emphatic way, beating four Grand Slam champions in the process - Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka.
ADVERTISEMENT
Four months later, Mboko received an award that the city of Burlington has been presenting to certain individuals since 2019.
Weve always had great tennis players in Canada, but ... whether we had watched tennis before or not, everyone was a tennis fan for those weeks," Canadian Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said.
Mboko reacts to being presented with the key to Burlington
The community here is so welcoming and friendly. We have almost everything we need around here and I have been and continue to be so blessed to live here and have the opportunities my family created for me. Its something I dont take lightly and Ive set out as a goal in the future for myself to help provide and create opportunities for others. To that extent, if I were to ever have one wish, itd be to have more tennis courts here in Burlington," Mboko said.
ADVERTISEMENT
After winning her maiden WTA title in Montreal, Mboko also landed her second title in Hong Kong and led Canada to securing a place in next year's Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
