Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian tennis player raised in Toronto and born to Congolese parents, has advanced to the final of the National Bank Open after a remarkable series of performances.
Mboko began her run with a commanding straight-sets win over world No. 2 Coco Gauff, shocking the tennis world and immediately drawing attention as a rising star. She followed that with a solid win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, Mboko faced No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina and showed resilience beyond her years. After dropping the first set, she came back to win the next two sets, saving a match point in the final set tiebreak. She also played through a wrist injury that required a medical timeout early in the third set. The match lasted nearly three hours and ended with Mboko collapsing in tears as the crowd chanted her name.
Her win makes her the first Canadian woman to reach the National Bank Open final in Montreal in nearly four decades, and only the fourth in tournament history. The result also marks her first appearance in a WTA 1000-level final.
Mboko has had a breakthrough year. Starting the season ranked outside the top 300, she has climbed rapidly through the rankings and is projected to enter the top 35. She has notched over 50 match wins this year and has defeated more than two dozen higher-ranked opponents.
She is the youngest of four siblings and began her tennis career in Toronto. Her early training included time under a former Davis Cup captain in Canada, and she later moved to Belgium to train at the academy founded by a former Grand Slam champion. Her game is known for its aggressive baseline play and composure under pressure.
Mboko is coached by a former Wimbledon finalist and has been praised for her maturity and athleticism. Her rapid rise has brought increased media attention and growing expectations, but she has managed to remain focused throughout the tournament.
She will face the winner of the other semifinal between Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson in Thursday’s final. Regardless of the outcome, Mboko’s performance in Montreal has cemented her status as one of the most promising young talents in tennis.
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