Canadian teen tennis star, Victoria Mboko, to make U.S. Open debut Monday

In just 12 magical days in Montreal earlier this month, Victoria Mboko went from a promising young player on the rise to a champion at the WTA 1000 level — in her home country, no less.

The 18-year-old who went from No. 85 to No. 23 is a rising star who has got everyone's attention inside the sport and around the country. And so on Monday, in her first match since that Aug. 7 National Bank Open final, Mboko will make her U.S. Open debut as the 22nd seed.

"I feel like not much has really changed, though," Mboko said during a press conference. "I feel like I'm playing the same way.

"I think tennis is also very mental, so however you're feeling with yourself and how confident you feel with your game, you're able to produce good tennis, as well."

The Toronto teen, who grew up in Burlington, Ont., will play her first-round match against Barbora Krejcikova in Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-biggest court on the site after Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I remember being here as a junior in 2022, and juniors only had access to the indoor training centre," Mboko said. "So to be able to see the grounds a little bit, getting to practice on Louis Armstrong, seeing the player lounge and the locker rooms, it's a really cool experience — especially as this is one of my favourite Grand Slams.

In fact, though, a lot has changed since those 12 days.

Mboko's agent, Marijn Bal of WME Sports, said he received about 120 interview requests from around the world in the wake of Mboko's win over Naomi Osaka in Montreal on Aug. 7. He had to become Dr. No — at least for now.

They fulfilled a few requests the next day, and then Mboko had a media day in Toronto the Monday following the tournament where she appeared on a couple of TV shows and some sports