Victoria Mboko secured her place in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals on February 13, 2026. The 19-year-old Canadian, who earlier ousted Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, will face Karolina Muchova in the title match on Saturday. Mboko's win guarantees her debut in the WTA top 10 next week.
In a match lasting 74 minutes, Mboko demonstrated her rapid ascent in women's tennis by overcoming Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion. The teenager from Toronto, born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Congolese parents, started strongly after an early challenge, winning the first set in 39 minutes and surging to a 5-0 lead in the second before closing out the victory despite a late rally from the Latvian.
Mboko recorded 15 winners, including six aces, against 15 unforced errors, while Ostapenko managed 22 winners but committed 27 unforced errors. This marks Mboko's fourth WTA final and second at the 1000 level, following her title win at the National Bank Open in Montreal last August. Just 12 months prior, she was ranked No. 211, having yet to win a WTA main-draw match; she began 2025 at No. 333 and has since claimed titles in Montreal and Hong Kong, plus a runner-up finish to Mirra Andreeva in Adelaide this season.
"It's crazy! She was playing really great tennis from the start so I felt like I had to step it up but I'm happy to be here and make the final," Mboko said in her on-court interview. She becomes the fourth Canadian woman to reach the top 10, joining Carling Bassett-Seguso, Eugenie Bouchard, and Bianca Andreescu.
Meanwhile, Karolina Muchova advanced by rallying from a set and a break down to defeat Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the other semi-final. Muchova, seeking her first WTA 1000 title, praised Mboko's form: "I watch her here and she's playing incredible. I think she's an incredible, strong athlete."
Mboko's coaches include former world No. 3 Nathalie Tauziat and Noelle van Lottum. Genie Bouchard, after Mboko's Montreal triumph, described her rise as "nothing short of incredible," noting her power from a young age. Coco Gauff, beaten by Mboko in Montreal, highlighted her athleticism and positivity.
