Victoria Mboko delivered a commanding performance to defeat Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-1 in 1 hour and 13 minutes in Indian Wells. The victory sets up a quarterfinal meeting with Aryna Sabalenka for the Canadian player.
Mboko’s Clinical Performance Against Anisimova
The fourth-round matchup quickly became a display of dominance by Mboko. She secured her first win over Anisimova in their first career meeting at the WTA level.
Mboko capitalised on an uncharacteristically loose performance from the American, especially on return. Mboko won more than half the points played on Anisimova’s serve, with 35 to 34. She only faced one break point and didn’t relented, enabling her to cruise to the finish line.
Mboko’s clean and measured tennis was a key factor in her victory.
Quarterfinal Clash with Sabalenka Looms
Mboko’s meeting with Sabalenka will be a rematch of this year’s Australian Open fourth round. Sabalenka won that match in straight sets, taking a 1-0 lead in their WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz head-to-head.
Mboko has shown a knack for rising to the occasion in big matches. She said in her on-court interview that she is experiencing a lot of things for the first time, and that to be out there playing Top 10 players is really a privilege.
It marks the 19-year-old’s third WTA 1000 quarterfinal in just seven appearances and comes with her fifth career Top 10 win — and her fourth of 2026. She’ll get a chance at another in the quarterfinals, where she’ll face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Mboko Joins Canadian Quarterfinal History
Mboko becomes the fourth Canadian to reach the women’s singles quarterfinals at Indian Wells. She joins Patricia Hy-Boulais, Helen Kelesi and Bianca Andreescu.
She’s the second youngest to achieve the feat, behind Andreescu. She’s also the first Canadian to reach the quarterfinals since Andreescu in 2019, when she went on to win the title.
Key Stats From the Match
- Mboko had only seven unforced errors, demonstrating surgeon-like precision on her ball striking.
- Mboko has 16 match wins in 2026, putting her second on tour this season, trailing only Elina Svitolina (17).
- Mboko went 4-for-4 on break chances, including one late in the first set to take a 4-3 lead and another to close out the match at love.
Mboko has already had her fifth career Top 10 win — and her fourth of 2026.