Sensational newcomer Victoria Mboko joins stellar cast in Abu Dhabi

Dubai: The stage is set for Canadian teenage sensation Victoria Mboko, as she continues her meteoric rise in women’s tennis.

The world No 18, who was named the WTA Newcomer in 2025, will headline a strong Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open field alongside defending champion Belinda Bencic and fast-rising Filipina talent Alexandra Eala.

The 19-year-old from Toronto enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season, climbing from outside the world's top 300 into the top 20 in the rankings.

The highlight of Mboko's campaign came in August, when she claimed the WTA 1000 National Bank Open title in Montreal. She defeated four Grand Slam singles champions during the tournament, including four-time major winner Naomi Osaka in the final, to secure her first WTA Tour title. On her sensational run, she took out 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round, two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff in the Round of 16, 2022 Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals, before capping off her glorious run with victory over Osaka.

Coming into the tournament, Mboko was ranked 85th in the world. Her victory made her the second-lowest ranked player to win a Tier I / WTA 1000 title since the format’s introduction in 1990. In the process, Mboko became the fifth wildcard to win a WTA 1000 title since 1990 and the first since her compatriot Bianca Andreescu did so at Indian Wells in 2019. The other four all won Grand Slam titles during their careers: Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Maria Sharapova, and Andreescu. Mboko also became the second player since 2009 to claim her maiden title at a WTA 1000 event.  

The Canadian teenager then went on to win another WTA title in Hong Kong in November, having captured four consecutive ITF World Tennis Tour titles earlier in the year, and reaching the third round of the French Open.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open WTA 500 tournament will return to the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City from January 31 to February 7, 2026 and the young Canadian’s debut appearance is sure to pull in the crowds alongside Eala and Bencic.