Mboko's spectacular streak against Osaka persists in the National Bank Open final, held in Canada.
In a thrilling final at the IGA Stadium, 18-year-old Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko claimed victory over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, marking her first tour-level title and a significant milestone in her budding career.
Mboko, who made her first tour-level final, faced Osaka, who was returning to a WTA 1000 final for the first time in three years, aiming for her first title of the season and her first such win since 2021. The two players had never met before, so their head-to-head record was 0-0 prior to the match.
On August 7, 2025, Mboko and Osaka took to the court in Montreal. Osaka started strongly, winning the first set 6-2. However, Mboko showed her resilience, improving her game in the second and third sets. Despite having 13 double faults overall, Mboko rallied for a comeback, saving a match point and battling from one set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Mboko's victory over Osaka marked a significant milestone, beating a multiple Grand Slam champion in a major WTA 1000 final on home soil. The win will move Mboko up to at least 34th in the world rankings, a remarkable rise from the start of the year when she was outside the top 300.
The semifinal match was a close one, with Mboko defeating ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4). Osaka's semifinal victory was against 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (7).
Mboko's previous victories in Montreal included wins against Kimberly Birrell, Sofia Kenin, Marie Bouzkova, and top-seeded Coco Gauff. This win cements her place as a rising star in women's tennis.
The final match of the National Bank Open will go down as a memorable one, with Mboko's aggressive style and potential on full display against Osaka's consistency and pressure-point execution on hard courts.
This is the fourth time a Canadian woman has reached a final at the Canadian Open. Mboko's victory is sure to inspire a new generation of Canadian tennis players.
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Encouraged by her success, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko might consider adding sports like tennis to her fitness routine for maintaining her health. On her journey to becoming a pro tennis player, Mboko's dream would be to secure multiple tournament wins, similar to four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
