Victoria Mboko: From "one fan" watching in Portugal to a winning Indian Wells debut

The meteoric rise of Victoria Mboko in the last 12 months couldn't be more apparent at the BNP Paribas Open.

This time last year, the Canadian was ranked No. 188 competing in a $75,000 event in Portugal on the ITF Women's Tennis Tour—an event she won, and took home $9,142.

She earned near quadruple that for a 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Kimberly Birrell on Stadium 2 in Indian Wells on Friday—her third win against the Aussie in the last 12 months, and a victory that also marked her official debut as a Top 10 player.

Afterwards, Mboko reflected on the difference 12 months makes when speaking to Steve Weismann on Tennis Channel—starting with the faces in the stands.

"I feel like ... I had one fan and here I have a lot of, especially Canadian, fans," the now-World No. 10 said. "I saw a lot of Canadian flags and people, I guess just locals, who were rooting for me, so that was a really heartwarming feeling. It just motivated me to keep going, and it was amazing."

"The grounds are just beautiful," she said. "I feel like I'm at a Grand Slam right now. They say [it's] the 'fifth Slam' for a reason. ... So far, what's not to enjoy about it?"

"It's crazy to see how far I've come," she continued. "I would've never thought I'd be in this position today. I feel like I'm so thankful and grateful for everything that has been in front of me, and taking opportunities that will advance me further.

"I feel like I always just take things day by day. You never know, I surprise myself, and here we are."

Read more: Victoria Mboko adjusts to favorite status after Doha finals defeat

Mboko's fellow Canadian and Tennis Channel analyst Eugenie Bouchard proclaimed that "the sky's the limit" for the 19-year-old in her first trip to Tennis Paradise. But the teenager herself is enjoying riding the wave as she seeks a third career WTA 1000 final appearance since August, having followed up last summer's breakout win on home soil with a final run at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month in Doha.

"It doesn't really feel like I have to prove something, because every tournament so far I have played was just for the first time," she added in her post-match press conference. "I'm just enjoying playing on the tour, just getting the experience playing higher-ranked players. I think it's a process."