Grand Slams always tend to unearth hidden stars.

And the French Open has continued that trend with 18-year-old Victoria Mboko emerging as the latest tennis prodigy to make big waves as a relatively small fish in Paris.

Victoria Mboko is loving her time in ParisCredit: GETTY

Mboko stormed to the third round by defeating Eva Lys on Wednesday at Roland Garros.

The Canadian teen, born in the US, was too much for her German counterpart as she won 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first-ever third round at a Grand Slam.

Mboko hit 22 winners and forced Lys into 26 errors as she created over a dozen break points.

Her win also served as the first time she’s ever won back-to-back matches in a tour-level main draw.

“Pretend like you’re playing somewhere else, that you’re not at a Grand Slam. It’s another clay-court tournament.

“That way, I don’t put as much pressure on myself and the points. I let loose, and I kind of go for my shots a little bit more.”

Victoria Mboko was ranked 120th in the world before the French OpenCredit: GETTY

Victoria Mboko was born in the States but raised in CanadaCredit: GETTY

Despite Mboko’s recent breakthrough, her rise has been anything but short, and it’s one that begins back in the 1990s with her parents.

Mboko’s parent moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo nearly 30 years ago, escaping the First and Second Congo Wars.

Due to visa issues, her mother, Godee, and father, Cyprien, were separated.

Godee went to Montreal, Canada, and Cyprien went to North Carolina in the United States.

Her father then moved to N.C. to join her mother, and that is where Victoria was born, although the family would soon leave for Toronto, where she would be raised.

Mboko would quickly fall in love with tennis, and her father, a retired mechanical engineer, worked nights in part so that he could drive her to tennis obligations.

Coco Gauff cheekily blames coach for awkward racket blunder before making US tennis history at French Open

With Canada’s biggest stars falling out of the tournament already — Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime both lost in the first round — Mboko has the chance to be the nation’s biggest star this tournament.

And there is a buzz about Mboko back home, who is becoming the latest string of Canadians from immigrant families rising to the top of tennis.

“We know Canada is a very multicultural country and we are very accepting of everyone,” Andreescu, a former World No.4 and mentor to Mboko, told The Athletic.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing that we’re all from different cultures, different backgrounds.

“Tennis Canada really has built this program in the acceptance of everybody, no matter who you are.”

After this tournament, tennis fans in Canada will certainly take notice of Mboko, who will enter the top 100 after finishing last year ranked 350th.

Victoria Mboko will have to get used to the attention on herCredit: GETTY

She’s also already won two titles at the ITF level and reached a WTA final this year.

While her two outings at the WTA 1000 level were thrilling matches too, as she took Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff to three sets in Miami and Rome, respectively.

Gauff said she ‘felt like playing myself’ in a huddle after the match, especially with how well Mboko covered the court.

“On the movement, I would say she’s up there with me on that,” Gauff, probably the best mover in the sport, said.

Mboko now has a mammoth task ahead of her if she is to create even more history at the French Open.

She clashed with world No.8 and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen on Thursday.

Chinese star Zheng reached the 2024 Australian Open final and has tons of big game experience.

If Mboko is to advance she will have to pull off the greatest win of her young career.