A Debut to Remember in Montreal

Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian wildcard, produced the biggest win of her young career by defeating  Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a pulsating semifinal clash at the National Bank Open.

In just her first-ever WTA main draw appearance, Mboko showed nerves of steel to turn around a one-sided first set and rally from a break down in the decider. The home crowd in Montreal roared her on as she fought off Rybakina’s power and composure to book a spot in Sunday’s final.


From Wildcard to Giant-Killer

Mboko entered the tournament as a wildcard ranked outside the top 200. She had never played a top-10 opponent, until today. The opening set seemed to go as expected, with Rybakina racing through 6-1 in just 27 minutes.

But then the momentum shifted.

Mboko started stepping inside the baseline, taking time away from the Kazakh star. She won the second set 7-5 with a stunning backhand pass, and carried the belief into the third.

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In the deciding set tiebreak, the teenager surged to a 5-2 lead and never looked back, sealing victory with a fearless forehand winner.


Canada Has a New Star

This win makes Victoria Mboko the youngest Canadian to reach a WTA 1000 final, and the first woman from Canada to reach the Montreal final since Bianca Andreescu in 2019.

The comparisons are already being made, but Mboko’s coach insists:

“She’s not the next Bianca. She’s the first Victoria.”


Her calm under pressure, fearless shot selection, and court coverage drew praise even from Rybakina, who said post-match:

“She played brave tennis. She deserved it today.”



Osaka or Tauson Awaits

Mboko will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Clara Tauson and Naomi Osaka, who is making a deep run in her return season. Either way, Sunday will bring a high-stakes battle between experience and youth.

Also read: Naomi Osaka’s comeback rolls on as she reaches first WTA 1000 final since 2022

No matter the outcome, Mboko has already won the hearts of fans and possibly a future top spot in Canadian tennis.

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