After Mirra Andreeva’s glorious run in Paris, all eyes were on the WTA’s second-highest-ranked teenager, Victoria Mboko, to make strides during the upcoming tournaments. Mboko, the 2025 Canadian Open champion, was scheduled to contest the Wimbledon Championships for just the second time in 2026, having reached the second-round last year.
Her dreams, however, came crashing down after she slipped mid-match at the Queen’s Club Championships. The 19-year-old retired from her opening singles match against Karolína Plíšková after injuring her knee, and she eventually pulled out of her doubles match with Serena Williams.
Victoria Mboko’s Injury Ruins Her Wimbledon Dream
According to Wimbledon’s updated entry list, Mboko has now pulled out of the Championships, marking an unfortunate conclusion to her grass-court swing. Presently ranked World No. 9, she was set to be one of the top seeds at the tournament, which begins on June 29.
“Ongoing left knee injury” was the official reason for her decision, and Czech tennis player Darja Vidmanova received a direct main-draw entry following the Canadian’s withdrawal. Mboko’s absence is all the more disappointing, as it would have marked her first Wimbledon with Wim Fissette as her coach. Fissette famously coached Iga Świątek to her first title at SW19 last year, ending the Pole’s continued struggle on grass.
A Look at Victoria Mboko’s Short-Lived Grass Campaign
After an early exit against Madison Keys at the French Open, Mboko resumed her season on the grass courts of Queen’s Club. Her first challenge on the surface was a doubles match with Serena Williams, who made a surprising return to competition after nearly four years. The pair advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win against Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
The following day, Mboko opened her singles campaign against Plíšková. She slipped and injured her knee while trailing 2-6, 4-3 and subsequently retired from the match. The injury also forced her out of her and Williams’ doubles match against Laura Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez.
The Berlin Tennis Open (June 13-21) was supposed to be Mboko’s next stop. Her Wimbledon withdrawal, however, means she will not compete at the upcoming WTA 500 event. Williams, on the other hand, has a new partner ahead of her stint in the German capital. She and Czech star Karolína Muchová have received a doubles wildcard to compete at the event.
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As for Mboko, she will hope to make a full recovery ahead of the North American hardcourt swing. The teenager is the reigning Canadian Open champion, with 1000 points to defend at the tournament (August 2-13).
