Mboki leads a host of teen stars who are shining in Miami
03.20.26
By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer
No problem for Mboko, who continued the surging teen contingent who are making a tidal-wave-like splash at the Miami Open this week.
Decked out in a bright pink ensemble, the Toronto teen unleashed a torrent of return-of-serve, line-breaking winners as well as warp-speed groundstrokes that Russian Anna Blinkova could only blink at in a 6-2, 6-0 rout. The win moved Mboko into the third round where she will play Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova.
Mboko loves the fact that so many teenagers are making their mark this week, including 17-year-old French wild card Moise Kouame, who won his first ATP Tour-level match Thursday to become the youngest male winner in the tournament’s 41-year history.
Kouame was joined in the second round by Japan’s Rei Sakamoto, a former world No. 1 in juniors, who on Friday defeated former collegiate All-American Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7).
Sakamoto is the fifth male teenager to reach the second round of the Miami Open, the most since 2007 (Juan Martin del Potro, Evgeny Korolev, Sam Querrey, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray). He joined Boca Raton native Darwin Blanch (18), Kouame (17), Spain’s Rafael Jodar (19) and Brazilian Joao Fonseca (19).
“I guess our generation, we’re hungry,’’ said Mboko, a lover of blow-torch sushi. “So no, it’s really nice to see. And I’ve known most of them in the juniors, so it’s nice to see familiar faces and people I’ve known for such a long time. Some of them I’ve known since I was as young as like 11. So, it’s crazy to see and it’s really nice. Hopefully we can be at the top altogether at some point.”
Already at the top with Mboko is 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, ranked No. 10 and seeded eighth, who became the youngest WTA 1000 champion last year after winning back-to-back titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. She also won a doubles title in Miami.
It’s the first time two teenage girls are in the Top 10 since July 2009 when 19-year-olds No. 8 Victoria Azarenka and No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki were there.
Mboko was referring to fellow teens on the rise like 18-year-old Californian Iva Jovic, who’s seeded her age, and 17-year-old Aussie Emerson Jones, who won her first-round match.
On his podcast, “Served with Andy Roddick,’’ the former world No. 1 host said that he believes that Mboko is, “going to win a Slam in the next two years.
“I just needed to say that out loud,’’ Roddick said. “This year she’s making the quarters of every single event. She gets through three-set matches all the time. When she starts flipping those and turns those into 4 and 4 which she will, [she’ll roll].
“She is physically strong and she can withstand the stress test of big tennis. I am more and more impressed with her the more she goes about it. She doesn’t have to play [great] to win matches.
“Give me until 2028, but I think she wins a major.”
Moise Kouame, just 17, electrified the fans in Miami this week in recording his first professional win and is the youngest player to win a match in Miami Open history.
When Mboko was told of Roddick’s prediction, she flashed a smile that could light up Hard Rock Stadium and said: “Of course, it’s a goal of mine and a goal for so many people. Hey, he put it out there so why not?”
Her Canadian fans agreed.
“She is going to be in the top three easily,’’’ said Montreal native Meagan Schmidt with a Canadian flag in her lap. “I saw her at Montreal at the [WTA 1000 event] and when she won and we went completely crazy.”
Jean-Francois Lecours from Quebec City said: “She’s the next Serena!”
Why not for a player in the midst of a meteoric climb up the rankings, soaring from No. 333 15 months ago to her current slot at No. 9 after a final berth at Doha last month? Her stock soared after winning her country’s national championship, the WTA 1000 in Montreal where she knocked off four former Grand Slam champions (Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka). She added the Hong Kong Open to her growing resume.
Sakamoto moved from Japan to Bradenton to train at IMG Academy when he was almost 16, and agreed the younger generation is pushing him.
“I saw the other four guys, Darwin, Kouame, Fonseca and Jodar winning their round so I wanted to be part of it,’’ said Sakamoto, who after each victory, kneels down and follows a Samurai custom by pulling an imaginary sword out of a sheath. “It’s a good motivation. The same generation of guys grinding and winning tournaments really gives me motivation.”
Once upon a time, teenagers were winning Grand Slams until it became expected rather than rare, particularly on the women’s tour when Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Serena and Venus Williams ruled the sport.
Michael Chang, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker also won their share of Slams in their teenybopper years. However, as the aging Big 3 of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal ruled the sports along with the Willamses, it became more difficult for the youngsters to break through.
A couple of 19-year-olds did just fine at the Miami Open last year as Jakub Mensik won the tournament, and Alexandra Eala made Phillipines’ history by reaching the semis.
Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff won their first Slams at 19, making believers out of blossoming junior players.
The times: they are changing.***
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