Melbourne – Victoria Mboko’s Australian Open debut continues to unfold just as she had envisioned, with the Canadian securing her spot in the third round at AO 2026 on Wednesday. The 17th seed triumphed over American Caty McNally with a score of 6-4, 6-3 at the 1573 Arena, demonstrating remarkable resilience after trailing early in the second set. Mboko impressively reeled off six consecutive games from a 0-3 deficit to clinch the victory.
Mboko Reflects on Hard-Fought Match
“I really had to fight hard today,” said the 19-year-old. “She was playing really great tennis, so I just tried to take it point by point and not focus too much on the score. There were a lot of Canadians in the crowd, too. They gave me a lot of motivation and support, and I think they really helped me push through the match.”
Injury Concerns and Upcoming Challenge
Mboko has been competing in Melbourne with her right leg heavily wrapped as a precautionary measure after hyperextending her knee at last week’s Adelaide International, where she reached the final. She explained that the support is helping keep her knee stable as the tournament progresses. Next up, Mboko will face 14th seed Clara Tauson in a first-time meeting on Friday. The Dane advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Polina Kudermetova.
“I know she’s very aggressive,” Mboko said. “She’s a hard hitter, and I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Other Notable Results in the Women’s Draw
Also moving into the third round is Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina, who fired 28 winners in a 7-5, 6-1 win over Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova at John Cain Arena. “It’s never easy to play somebody you don’t know and who is new on tour,” said the three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist. “Linda played really well and was striking the ball big in the first set.”
Shnaider’s Dramatic Comeback
Svitolina will meet 23rd seed Diana Shnaider, who produced a dramatic comeback against Australian wildcard Talia Gibson. Shnaider saved three match points while serving at 4-5 in the second set before rallying to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory. “She played amazingly, and honestly, it was hard to believe I could pull this off,” said the 21-year-old. “On match point, I just told myself I had to go for it. I’m super happy, I think wins like this give you a lot of confidence going into the next round.”
