City of Burlington awards local tennis star Victoria Mboko key to the city

VIDEO: Tennis champion Victoria Mboko received the key to the city at Robert Bateman Community Centre in Burlington, Ont., Friday afternoon.

She’s known all over the world as a champion in tennis — now she can add ‘key to the city of Burlington’ to her resume.

Mboko was at the Robert Bateman Community Centre Friday to receive this recognition, for putting her hometown on the map through her professional tennis talents.

Mboko started playing tennis when she was three years old.

She began her tennis career in Burlington and now it’s come full circle.

“It’s funny,” Mboko said. “I feel like I’ve always thought that from the moment I started.”

Mboko always knew she had the will to win.

The world knows her for her tennis career title wins; the City of Burlington will remember her with a key to the city.

Mboko appreciates the moment and remembers when she first felt the will to win: losing to her sister.

“I played her when I was eight, and she was 18, and she beat me like O and O, but I just remember I was crying the whole day after that, because I just wanted to win so badly,” Mboko said.

“I love playing tennis and she’s one of those tennis players you wish to see in your future, and magically, you get to see her here,” said Kate Zylstra, a student at Maplehurst Public School.

Fans from far and wide were present to witness this moment.

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said Mboko put Burlington on the global map and that’s the key to this honour.

“We see so many incredible athletes coming here from Burlington and women athletes as well, and in fields not typically expected,” said Ward. “We have some great key-to-the-city recipients — she joins an incredible group of other women and women athletes.”

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She’s won tennis championships and now she has the key to the city of Burlington because of all those accomplishments and putting Burlington on the map.

When CHCH News spoke to her sister, she said it took a lot of sacrifice to get here.

“It’s a commitment,” said Gracia Mboko, Victoria’s sister. “It’s something you have to prioritize day in and day out.”

This often meant that moments playing outside with friends were few and far between.

This is according to Mboko’s sister, Gracia, who said her sister did not have a typical childhood.

“She would wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning to be at practice at 6, and go to school late and leave school early to go back to practice,” Gracia said.

That’s the life of an athlete this dialed-in to her craft.

Former coach Pierre Lamarche is proud of all her accomplishments, most of all her character.

“The key to the city is very nice,” said Lamarche. “I’m just amazed at how she grew up as a person.”

Mboko joins a long list of recipients of the key to the City of Burlington — as far as Holland and Japan.

Her dad says she doesn’t have much time for anything outside of tennis, but today he says she’s taking a moment to enjoy her hometown honours.

READ MORE: Burlington tennis sensation Mboko to get key to the city