Entertainment
Victoria Mboko: How two-time WTA Tour winner has emerged as a top prospect
I’m always looking ahead’ – Mboko eyes bright future
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Join us on WhatsAppThe ability to compartmentalise has been one of the defining factors of Victoria Mboko’s ascent.
The 19-year-old Canadian has climbed from outside the top 300 into the world’s top 20 after winning her second WTA Tour title of the season, underlining why she is considered of the best prospects in the women’s game.
Three of her five victories on her way to the Hong Kong Open title came from a set down and she also overturned a 4-1 third-set deficit against Alexandra Eala.
“I’m always someone who is looking ahead. I feel what has passed has passed,” Mboko told BBC Sport.
It was a similar story of reset and rise when Mboko stunned the tour by claiming the Montreal title in August.
Still aged 18, she beat four Grand Slam champions – Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka – to lift one of the most significant titles outside of the four majors.
Three times she fought back from a set down, as well as saving match point against 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina in the semi-finals.
Speaking to BBC Sport at the US Open, it was clear how Mboko – who was mobbed by young fans at Flushing Meadows – had already decided to focus on the future.
Dividing her emotions and being able to move on quickly is something she has learned how to do.
A 6-0 6-0 loss to her older sister Gracia at a junior tournament stung for a long time – and is an experience still used by her siblings to rib her.
Family is central to Mboko’s life. She celebrated her second WTA title with a warm hug with father Cyprien, beaming broadly as he lifted the trophy for the cameras.
A retired engineer, Cyprien and his wife Godee Kitadi left their home in the politically-unstable Democratic Republic of Congo in 1999 and moved to North America.
Initially the couple lived in the United States before settling in Canada with their four children.
While her parents never played tennis, Mboko’s father was obsessed after watching 1990s stars like Andre Agassi on television.
“A lot of their life revolved around tennis,” said Mboko, who is hoping to make her first visit to DR Congo soon.
“My dad always made sure he was watching my practices. He used to work night shifts so he could drive me in the morning.
“They’ve always supported me so that I could pursue what I love.”
Following her victory in Hong Kong, Mboko highlighted how crucial her dad’s “emotional support” has been on the road during her breakout season.
“I’ve always been very grateful he can travel and be with me at these tournaments,” said Mboko.
“To see me play at the top level I think makes him happy. When everything is going well and we’re all happy then it is nice times.”
This season could not have gone much better for Mboko.
Possessing a natural instinct for first-strike tennis, she won her first 20 matches of 2025 and lifted four successive titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour.
Confidence continued to build before the seismic success in Montreal, but a lingering wrist injury meant Mboko struggled after.
She lost her first match at her next four tournaments – including at the US Open – and did not win again until two-and-a-half months later in Tokyo.
There was no panic. Mboko, quietly-spoken and unassuming off the court, remained assured on it to turn her form around.
“I understand when you win a tournament there is a little bit of pressure to do it again,” she said.
“I like to keep things really calm and not put expectation on myself.
“There are so many talented players who you can beat or can beat you on any given day.
“I always say take things day by day and I feel I happy I’ve won another title.”
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.
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Join us on WhatsAppWith the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.
Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?
Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.
“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.
Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.
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Join us on WhatsAppIt’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.
These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.
That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.
So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.
But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?
Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.
Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.
That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.
If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.
But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.
Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.
For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.
Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time
With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.
He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.
DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.
He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.
He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.
He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.
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