Rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko at home at Indian Wells in debut

When 19-year-old rising Canadian tennis star Victoria Mboko hopped on a plane in Toronto destined for Indian Wells, she was caught off guard by what she saw.

“Actually, on the flight on the way here, most of the people flying from Toronto were here for the event, so it was really nice to see a lot of Canadian flags,” Mboko said after topping Kemberly Birrell 6-4, 7-6 (5) in her first-ever match at the BNP Paribas Open. “Surprisingly, there is a lot of Canadians that live here too. That’s really cool.”

Unfamiliar with the desert being a popular destination for Canadians, Mboko was happy to soak in the warm vibes of the snowbirds.

“Honestly, after today, it made me feel like I was playing a bit at home. It was really nice to receive that kind of support,” she said.

Mboko has been feeling at home on almost every court in 2026. She’s had a fantastic run and gone from a little-known teen to a top-10 player.

She made the final of the Qatar Open in February, beating Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina along the way. She made the quarterfinals in the Austalian Open before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. And she made the final in Adelaide, topping Madison Keys before losing to Andreeva.

She’s played 2025 BNP Paribas Open champion Andreeva so much, the two have teamed up to play doubles this week in Indian Wells.

“Yeah, it kind of just came really randomly. I wasn’t actually planning on playing doubles here, but she asked me pretty last minute. I was, like, Sure, why not? Get some extra matches in,” Mboko said. “I’m sure it will be fun. She’s a great doubles player and has some really great doubles results. I’m also kind of just starting out and trying to find my footing in doubles and just trying to play as many matches as I can whenever I can. Yeah, we’ll see.”

Next up for Mboko, who is seeded 10th here, will be a Sunday third-round match against No. 29 Anna Kalinskaya.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko at home at Indian Wells in debut