Teen sensation Victoria Mboko stuns Naomi Osaka to capture Montreal title
18-year-old Victoria Mboko staged a remarkable comeback to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, claiming her first WTA 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Montreal on Thursday night. She defeated four Grand Slam winners on her way (Kenin, Gauff, Rybakina, Osaka) and will be ranked world No. 25 in the … Continued
Victoria Mboko et Naomi Osaka, Montreal 2025, © Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP/SIPA)
18-year-old Victoria Mboko staged a remarkable comeback to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, claiming her first WTA 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Montreal on Thursday night. She defeated four Grand Slam winners on her way (Kenin, Gauff, Rybakina, Osaka) and will be ranked world No. 25 in the WTA rankings.
After a shaky start in front of her home crowd, Mboko struggled to match Osaka’s power early on, dropping the first set 6-2. But the teenager, already hailed for her resilience, found her groove in the second set. Unleashing her aggressive baseline game, she edged the set 6-4, seizing momentum from the experienced Osaka.
The third set saw Mboko elevate her level, fending off break points at a pivotal moment and surging to a 3-1 lead, capitalizing on Osaka’s unforced errors and mixing in clever baseline angles. As Centre Court roared, Mboko’s confidence soared; she secured five of the last six games to complete the 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 turnaround.
Mboko : “unbelievable”
Mboko survived low numbers on her serve (13 double faults, 61% first-serve percentage) but broke Osaka’s serve eight times out of nine opportunities. With Osaka being one of the most efficient servers on tour, this was one of the keys to the match.
Mboko’s victory has reignited Canada’s tennis hopes and cemented her standing as one of the sport’s brightest young stars. “To win at home, against one of my idols, is a dream come true,” she told reporters, trophy in hand and applause filling the night air. “It feels unbelievable right now.”
“I think when I had that winning moment and saw so many people standing up and cheering for me, it was kind of a surreal experience. I would have never thought something like this would have come so suddenly. I’m super happy about it, and I think it just proves that your dreams are closer than you think.”
Worried by her wrist
Mboko revealed that she had experienced a sudden worry about her wrist. “I woke up this morning and my wrist was actually a little bit swollen from yesterday’s fall. We quickly went to the hospital to do an MRI and an X-ray before I came to the courts to practice today. Once we got the green light that nothing too serious was going on with the wrist, I came here, practiced quickly, and prepared for my match. So I think today, considering everything that happened, it feels a lot sweeter.”
Mboko is now expected to fly to Cincinnati for a second round against Dina Schnaider.
