Qatar Open: Victoria Mboko beats Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets after dazzling semi-final win
Victoria Mboko beats Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-2 to reach the Qatar Open final where she will play Karolina Muchova or Maria Sakkari on Saturday; watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Friday 13 February 2026 18:03, UK
Teenager sensation Victoria Mboko continued her stunning form as she stormed to a 6-3 6-2 win over Jelena Ostapenko to reach the Qatar Open final and seal her top 10 debut next week.
Mboko stunned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals and she blasted past Latvian Ostapenko in 74 minutes to reach her second WTA 1000 final, following on from her dream run to the National Bank Open title in Montreal last August.
This time last year, Mboko was ranked No 211 and on the way to collecting her fourth ITF title of 2025 at the Manchester W35.
She had played just one WTA main draw in her career, and had yet to win a match at that level.
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Just 12 months later, she has won the prestigious title in Montreal before winning in Hong Kong and she has already reached two finals this season, having been runner-up to Mirra Andreeva in Adelaide.
Mboko will now become the fourth Canadian woman to reach the top 10 next week, following Carling Bassett-Seguso, Eugenie Bouchard and Bianca Andreescu.
The 19-year-old made quick work of a 39-minute first set against Ostapenko and then raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second set.
A late Ostapenko rally saw the Canadian drop two games late on, making the scoreline somewhat more respectable, but the outcome was never in doubt as Mboko served out the match to reach the final.
"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," said Mboko.
"I feel pretty good but it's a part of the game. Sometimes you have really long matches and sometimes it can be shorter but it's important to rest up, take recovery into perspective and do everything I can to be ready for the final."
Tale of the Tape
Mboko struck 15 winners (including six aces) to 15 unforced errors, while Ostapenko's 22 winners were outweighed by 27 unforced errors.
Mboko will face the winner of Maria Sakkari and Karolina Muchova's semi-final in her second final at WTA 1000 level as her glittering rise to the top of women's tennis continues.
Speaking after her victory in Montreal, former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard said Mboko's rise "has been nothing short of incredible".
Bouchard said: "Anyone who knew her in Canadian tennis would not be surprised. She has so much power to her game. I remember practising with her when she was 14 or 15 years old and she was smacking forehands and bowling me off the court, so we all knew she would be really good.
"I'm so happy to see it happening at such a big event like this as well. She seems to be handling the moment really well, taking it all in her stride and using it as motivation."
Coco Gauff, who was sent crashing out of the National Bank Open in Montreal in straight sets by Mboko, praised the teenager's efforts.
"She's very athletic. She's a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn't get really too negative," Gauff said.
"I don't know her too well, but l have spoken to her a little bit since Rome.
"I think she has a great support system around her, and that's important when you're young and on tour. Hopefully, we have many more battles, and I look forward to playing her again in the future."
Sabalenka and Swiatek withdraw from Dubai
In other news, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have both withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
World No 1 Sabalenka said in a statement: "I'm really sorry I have to withdraw from Dubai. I have such a special connection with the tournament, the fans and the city. Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100 %. But I hope to be back next year and wish the tournament a great event."
Swiatek said: "I am sorry to announce that I will not be playing Dubai this year due to a change of schedule. I hope I will come back next year to experience the great tournament. See you guys in Indian Wells."
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