Preview: US Open: Barbora Krejcikova vs. Victoria Mboko - prediction, form, head-to-head

Refreshed after winning the Canadian Open on home soil, Victoria Mboko returns to action as the No. 22 seed in New York for her tantalising US Open debut against two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova.

The teenage star sensibly took time off after her historic WTA 1000 success but must swiftly refocus for Monday’s first-round match against her Czech opponent, whose record at Flushing Meadows has seldom been good.

Match preview

Mboko’s 2025 season has seen a rapid rise, moving from No. 333 in the world to inside the top 25, following impressive wins on the junior circuit before culminating in this month’s success in Montreal.

The talented Canadian has achieved all these results before turning 19, and she aims for her first US Open victory on the eve of her birthday on August 26.

Optimism should be high in the Mboko camp ahead of Monday’s match against Krejcikova, especially considering that the teenager recently defeated three former Slam winners — Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka — on her way to claiming the title in Montreal.

Therefore, her recent experience of overcoming such players should serve her well before facing a player 11 years her senior.

Considering victories outside the main tour, Mboko enters her first US Open at 51-9 for the season and probably goes into the upcoming match as the favourite, even though it is being held outside Canadian soil.

Despite her doubles success, Krejcikova is no stranger to upsets on the singles circuit, highlighted by her unexpected run to the 2024 Wimbledon title.

The eight-time WTA champion defeated Jelena Ostapenko and Rybakina during her run to the Championships, after having only reached the quarter-finals of Grand Slams three times in 12 appearances following 2021's French Open victory.

Since the Czech star's second Grand Slam win — her first being in Paris in 2021 — she has exited in the second round in New York, the second round in Paris and the third round in her defence of the crown at SW19.

A back injury has unfortunately limited the world No. 61 to just 14 matches in 2025, where she has posted an 8-6 record, emphasising the undercooked nature of her year.

Having never matched her 2021 quarter-final run in New York, Krejcikova, whose last three appearances at the tournament have seen her twice exit in the second round (2022, 2024) and once in the first round two years ago, the unseeded Czech player might face a tough battle against the teenager.

Head To Head

Mboko and Krejcikova will compete for the first time on the women’s tour, and the winner will take a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head.

While the 29-year-old has an 8-6 record this year, the teenager's 51-9 record across all tours far exceeds the experienced player's number of wins.

Unlike Mboko, who is making her debut in New York, Krejcikova enters her fifth main draw at Flushing Meadows, although a 6-4 record and a 60% win rate are her lowest at the Majors for the two-time Grand Slam champion.

We say: Mboko to win in three sets

Mboko’s serve showed vulnerability in Montreal, with the teen double-faulting several times during the tournament despite ultimately winning the title.

The youngster's deliveries intermittently breaking down suggests that Monday’s contest could go the distance, particularly considering that eight of Krejcikova’s 14 matches in 2025 have lasted three sets.

However, Mboko’s momentum, her recent experience of beating former Slam champions and Krejcikova’s underwhelming record in New York point to a victory for the rising star.