Mboko beats Kalinskaya in straight sets, sets up match against Anisimova
Hours after 20-year-old Alex Eala booked her place in the Round of 16, No. 10 seed Victoria Mboko followed with a composed 6-4, 6-1 win over Anna Kalinskaya.
The opening set stayed on serve through the first nine games, with neither player facing much pressure. Mboko seized her chance in the 10th, converting the match’s first break point to claim the set.
From there the momentum tilted firmly her way. The 18-year-old Mboko pulled away in the second set, closing out the victory to secure her spot in the final 16 at the BNP Paribas Open.
There's no stopping Victoria Mboko 😤#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/cRpobQZAwY
— wta (@WTA) March 9, 2026
Mboko making her debut at Indian Wells, then stormed through the first five games of the second set and closed out the match 6-4, 6-1 in 1 hour, 4 minutes.
She improved to 3-0 against Kalinskaya on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz and is now 11-0 this year against players ranked outside the top 20.
The win also marked her 15th victory of the 2026 season, second only to Elina Svitolina, who has 16 match wins so far this year. Mboko has already reached two finals this year - finishing runner-up in Adelaide and Doha.
She will next face sixth seed Amanda Anisimova for a spot in the quarterfinals. This will be the first meeting between the two players on the WTA Tour.