Hong Kong Open: Mboko wins the second trophy of her young career
Victoria Mboko won the tournament on Sunday night against Cristina Bucsa.
Victoria MBoko, Hong Kong 2025 | © Imago / PsNewz
Victoria Mboko clinched her second WTA title by winning the Hong Kong Open at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Sunday night with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2 victory over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
This victory, following her breakthrough WTA 1000 Canadian Open triumph earlier this year, confirms Mboko’s rising status in women’s tennis. The 19-year-old Canadian, seeded No. 3 in Hong Kong, fought back from a set down in a gripping final to claim the trophy, underscoring her determination and composure on the court.
Mboko now ranked No.18
Throughout the tournament, Mboko showed remarkable resilience, dispatching No. 2 seed Leylah Fernandez, Russian Anna Kalinskaya, Filipino Alexandra Eala, and Australian Talia Gibson. With this latest trophy, Mboko surged to a career-high ranking of No. 18 in the WTA standings, climbing well into the top 20 from a 2025 year-start ranking of No. 337. This meteoric rise highlights her as one of the most promising young talents in women’s tennis heading into 2026.
Cristina Bucsa, ranked No. 68, reached her first WTA final after taking down Emiliana Arango and Maya Joint and receiving a walkover from top seed Belinda Bencic. Commenting on her breakthrough week, Bucsa said, “It’s been a fantastic week for me. Reaching the final here is a career milestone and a motivation to keep pushing.”
Her effort in Hong Kong earned her a career-best ranking of No. 53 following the tournament, capping a season marked by steady growth including a US Open round of 16 appearance.
Mboko’s promising trajectory
The final was the longest women’s final of the 2025 WTA season, showcasing competitive exchanges and Mboko’s ability to maintain her focus under pressure, especially in the tense second-set tiebreak. Her victory in Hong Kong not only brings her €36,300 in prize money but also solidifies her presence among the elite on the women’s circuit, despite the time she needed to assume her new status.
Mboko’s 2025 breakthrough season sets a promising trajectory, having broken records early in the year with a 22-match winning streak and already securing multiple titles of the ITF circuit. Her confidence and skill development through these events strongly position her as a major contender in upcoming tournaments. Hong Kong marked her first Asia swing.
