Victoria Mboko

Press Conference

V. MBOKO/A. Anisimova

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Vicky, congrats. What a great performance. Welcome to the quarterfinals. Just your thoughts on the match.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, playing against Amanda today, I knew it was going to be very difficult going in the match. I feel like we had really great exchanges at the back, and she was playing some really solid tennis.

But I felt that I was just wanting to stay in there as much as I could with her, and I'm happy to have gotten the win today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You know, maybe, I don't know, a year ago, a top-10 win would be, like, ahhh. You're obviously in the top-10 yourself. Talk about how different the expectations are that you put on yourself these days that maybe these sorts of accomplishments, quarterfinal at Indian Wells, doesn't necessarily blow you away.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I feel like I'm one person to never really put expectations on myself, because you could either have a really good week or a bad week. So I wouldn't want to kind of put myself down or put myself on a pedestal and say I'm supposed to make this round.

Yeah, I have just been taking it day by day, and yeah, it's kind of weird that I'm top 10 now. So to be playing players in the top 10, I'm still really excited, yeah.

Q. After you met Aryna in Australia, you talked about you had a pretty good match with her, second set, and you talked about you didn't hit a thorough-enough ball, left a lot of balls short, and she punished you for that. I wonder if that experience has lived with you and you've thought about it a little bit? Did it surprise you just how much she was able to hurt you?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, it kind of did. I mean, she's World No. 1. She's obviously doing something right. Yeah, I think it was a big eye-opener playing her in the Australian Open, and I'd say coming into this match, of course, I played her, so I know what to expect.

I do think about it a lot, and you always try to see how to improve yourself in those kinds of situations in practice, and hopefully the next round I could be more prepared for those kinds of balls.

Q. I wonder, seven years ago, you were 12, I wonder if you had an eye on this tournament when Bianca did what she did in 2019? Was relatively unknown and just stormed at that title. It was an amazing run.

VICTORIA MBOKO: It was crazy that was seven years ago. Yeah, I remember watching it happen, and it was huge, especially in Canada. Bianca was someone, I really look up to her a lot and she had really great achievements so young.

Yeah, I mean, seeing her do well, of course, gave a lot of young Canadians hope that they could do something like her. That was just really nice to see.

Q. Did you already know her at that time personally?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah.

Q. You did?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah.

Q. In terms of, you know, going into the match against Aryna, when you look back on the match in Australia, what was the one thing that maybe surprised you or took you maybe off-guard, the whole experience playing her, might not have been just her, could have been the experience of Laver or anything like that, that you don't think that you'll experience this time because you would have been exposed to?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, I mean I could just say playing her in general, like I said before, she generates a really good ball. I feel like she was able to push me off the court a lot more and able to really stay aggressive against me.

So hopefully I can hold my ground a bit more against her and try to kind of even it out a bit more.

Yeah, we'll see. I mean, it was my first time playing on a Grand Slam center court too, so I feel like there was a lot going on in my head, but yeah, we'll see. It's a new day, new tournament. Yeah.

Q. At 19, I would assume you're still learning a lot as you progress in your career. I wonder, through a few rounds here in Indian Wells in your debut, what are some lessons you learned here?

VICTORIA MBOKO: To be honest, I'm still in the tournament, so I can't really just wrap it up and kind of reflect on everything right now.

But, I mean, I have just been taking it day by day. Yeah, every round I'm kind of trying to improve myself and make little adjustments to my game to play better players and try to advance further. So I guess just along each round, I just want to improve myself.

Q. You started 2025 outside the top 300. Now obviously you are in the top 10. I looked into it. Coco took a little bit longer to make that big jump. Mirra, as well. Does it feel fast to you how quickly the last year and a half has kind of been? What has been the key to not letting it get overwhelming?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, yeah, I mean, I will agree everything came super fast, but I just think, I mean, I just think if you put a lot of pressure on yourself and have a lot of expectations for yourself, you're not really going to perform the way you want to.

So I just try to come to terms that with every tournament I play, it's not going to be maybe the way I want it to, but I just want to give 100% effort, and there is always a lesson to learn.

I feel like that's the only way I'm going to improve myself. As long as each week I'm able to take something away and try to learn and grow from it, it's only going to be upwards from here. Yeah, it's a marathon, not a race, you know.