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Victoria Mboko’s coach gives insight into ‘nice, calm’ rising star’s personality

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Victoria Mboko’s feet remain firmly on the ground despite a trailblazing season that saw her win a WTA 1000 title and break into the top 20 of the rankings with her coach Nathalie Tauziat admitting that they “need to set even bigger objectives”.

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The Canadian made her WTA Tour singles debut as a 15-year-old in August 2022, but she had to wait another three years to claim her maiden win as that arrived at this year’s Miami Open.

That was only the start of things to come as she made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open, reaching the third round while she also made it to the second round of Wimbledon, before her big moment arrived at the Canadian Open.

After receiving a wildcard entry into her home event, Mboko upset big-name player after big-name player as she beat major champions Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff, who was the top seed, to reach the quarter-final.

The teenager then got the better of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro before seeing off 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina in the semi-final to reach her first top-level final.

In the showpiece match, she came from a set down to defeat former world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, becoming the second wildcard after the great Monica Seles to win the Canadian Open.

Tauziat was always confident Mboko would reach the top, but the speed of her progress stunned the former world No 3.

“If someone had told me she was going to win a big tournament like this at the beginning of the year, I would’ve probably said: ‘Listen, we have to go step by step,” the Frenchwoman told Claytennis and RG Media.

“But she did this amazing thing, and now we need to set even bigger objectives, for sure. She is top 20 in the world, but she needs to improve her game further.”

The 1998 Wimbledon runner-up added: “She has to work on many aspects — serve, forehand, backhand, same things as usual, we have to improve her game as a whole. Also, she needs to get better physically, small details when it comes to movement. We’ve got time.”

Rise Up The Rankings

Mboko was ranked outside the top 300 at the start of the season, but she broke into the top 200 on the back of winning five WTA Challenger titles between January and March.

Her run to the third round of the French Open gave her another rankings boost as she cracked the top 100 and not long after she surged into the top 30 on the back of her Canadian Open fairytale.

The 19-year-old has since climbed to career-high No 18 with her latest jump coming after she won her second title over the weekend at the Hong Kong Open, securing the Canadian year-end No 1 ranking in the process.

Despite the success, she remains eager to learn.

Asked what she is like as a person, Tauziat replied: “Nice person, very calm, I would say. Victoria keeps her feet firmly on the ground. She enjoys what she does, but does it at her own pace. Really serene.

The 58-year-old added: “I think she has learned to be more patient, not to hit the ball for the sake of just hitting the ball. She improved tactically, now she’s waiting for the right ball to attack, she understands not to hit the ball so hard when she is not well-positioned. Just put it in deep, long and wait for the right chance.

“She wants to be aggressive, that’s her natural game and we won’t change it. Just a little bit more control.”

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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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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With 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 ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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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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It’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.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The 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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