Montreal final reaches as Mboko, a Canadian teen, edges past Rybakina in a 3-set tiebreaker
Canadian Teenager Victoria Mboko Wins National Bank Open, Defeating Naomi Osaka in Thrilling Final
In an exciting turn of events, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko has clinched the National Bank Open title in Montreal, defeating Japanese star Naomi Osaka in a nail-biting three-set match. This victory marks Mboko's first WTA Tour title and her ascent to the limelight in the world of tennis.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and raised in Toronto, Mboko began playing tennis at the tender age of four. Her career has been a swift ascent, with notable achievements such as reaching the juniors’ semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2022, and winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles finals as a junior.
Mboko's professional breakthrough began in 2022, winning her first ITF singles title at the W25 tournament in Saskatoon. Her exceptional run on the ITF circuit in 2025, culminating in her Montreal victory, has propelled her from a ranking of No. 333 to about No. 24.
The final against Osaka was a closely contested affair, with the scoreline reading 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4). Mboko saved a match point in the third set and broke Rybakina twice to force a tiebreaker, ultimately securing the win.
Osaka, who stepped away from tennis for 15 months and had a daughter named Shai in July 2023, was seeking her eighth title and her first since the 2021 Australian Open. Despite her best performance in a WTA 1000 tournament since reaching the Miami final in 2022, Osaka was unable to secure the victory.
Mboko's journey to the final was not without challenges. She defeated top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final. The semifinal match against ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022 and has nine career WTA Tour victories, was particularly gruelling, lasting 2 hours, 46 minutes.
Mboko's victory in the semifinals will move her up to at least 34th in the world rankings, a significant leap from her current ranking of 85th. This young Canadian star is now aiming to join Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019) as the only Canadians to win the home event in the open era.
This win is a testament to Mboko's resilience, mental fortitude, and skill. Coached by former world No. 3 Nathalie Tauziat, Mboko's journey is just beginning, and tennis fans around the world are eager to see what the future holds for this promising talent.
News of Victoria Mboko's triumph in the National Bank Open has swept the world, as the 18-year-old also captured the attention of the art world, being compared to Canadian tennis legends such as Faye Urban and Bianca Andreescu. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka, admired beyond the world of sports for her strength and determination, found inspiration in Mboko's victory for her own return to tennis, competing against East-meets-West with grace and said to be eyeing another WTA Tour title in the realm of art - a tennis Grand Slam. In the world of sports news, tennis fans anticipate Mboko's spirited debut at upcoming events like the French Open and Wimbledon, hoping for a repeat of her stunning East-Coast comeback in Montreal.
