Victoria Mboko prevails against Naomi Osaka
She’s a rising star, a fighter — and now, a champion.
Victoria Mboko did it again on Thursday night, rallying back through the pain of a wrist injury to defeat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the National Bank Open final, capping a fairy tale run that fans across Canada won’t soon forget.
The 18-year-old Canadian tennis sensation dropped to her knees after Osaka fired a shot into the net as a raucous packed house burst into cheers around IGA Stadium’s centre court.
A crowd so rowdy, the umpire repeatedly asked fans to “please be quiet during the points.”
Mboko ran to hug her family and coaches in the courtside box after gutting out another thrilling comeback to claim her first career WTA title — at a 1000-level event, no less.
She became the third Canadian to win the hometown tournament in the Open Era, joining Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Faye Urban (1969), and the first to do so in Montreal.
“It’s been an incredible week here in Montreal,” Mboko told the crowd in a post-match ceremony. “Montreal, je vous aime!”
The Toronto phenom will now climb to 25th in the women’s singles world rankings, a stunning rise after she began the year outside the top 300 and started the tournament ranked 85th.
Mboko improved to 53-9 in all competitions this year, including 27-8 against higher-ranked players. She also took home $752,275 US for winning the tournament — more than doubling her $458,001 in career earnings before the event.
In a heroic final game, Mboko rallied from 40-15 down against Osaka’s serve to win the match, kicking it off with a remarkable rush to the net after the Japanese star just barely touched the ball over. Mboko got there a split-second before the ball bounced a second time and hit it into an open backcourt as the crowd erupted.
Jaw-dropping performances
The Canadian followed with a massive forehand winner before Osaka stuck a shot long to set up match point, fans rising to their feet, and she made no mistake.
It was a second jaw-dropping performance in as many nights for Mboko.
She reached the final by winning a match for the ages in the semifinal, climbing from one set down, saving a match point and battling through her wrist ailment to upset former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in an absolute thriller.
Mboko’s breakout moment also included wins over 2020 Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin and world No. 2 Coco Gauff, ousting the tournament’s top seed in a 62-minute fourth-round demolition.
She became the first Canadian player to defeat three former women’s singles Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event in the Open Era on Wednesday — and extended it to four on Thursday.
