Victoria Mboko, age 18, became only the third Canadian to win the Canadian Open, joining joining Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Faye Urban (1969).
After beating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final in Montreal, Mboko also became the youngest Canadian to claim a WTA 1000 title. She became the first Canadian player in the Open Era to defeat four former Grand Slam champions in a single event.
Mboko, who was born in North Carolina to parents who immigrated from Congo in Africa, began playing tennis at age 4 with older siblings in the Toronto suburb of Burlington, Ontario. Mboko was world number 333 in January; entered the National Bank Open in Montreal ranked No. 85; and finished the tournament at number 25, currently the highest ranking of any Canadian male or female. Even fans at the men’s tournament in Toronto erupted in cheers during the final there, where Ben Shelton defeated Karen Khachanov. Canadian political leaders and WTA founder Billie Jean King publicly congratulated her.
In the final, Osaka dominated the opening set without facing a single breakpoint, and Mboko struggled to make serves with a taped wrist. But Mboko broke Osaka’s serve eight times in the final two sets, including in a dramatic final game where she clawed back from 40–15 down.
Osaka, who had tantrums on court and struck a ball into the crowd after missing a serve early in the third set, forgot to congratulate Mboko after the match. She later congratulated Mboko on social media.
In the semifinals, Mboko saved a match point to defeat 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) despite a wrist injury. She also beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and current world No. 2 Coco Gauff, who won the French Open earlier this year.
“It’s been an incredible week here in Montreal,” Mboko said in English and French. “Montreal, je vous aime!”
“When I was younger, these achievements felt so far away,” she told Sportsnet. “Honestly, I would tell myself to never stop believing.”
Mboko improved to 53-9 in all competitions this year, including 27-8 against higher-ranked players. She also took home $750,000 US for winning the tournament — on top of her previous career earnings of $458,001 before the event.
Many tennis fans in Canada now believe that Mboko is destined for greatness. They recall Bianca Andreescu winning Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in Toronto on the way to stunning Serena Williams in the 2019 US Open final, still the greatest achievement in Canadian tennis history. But like Andreescu, Mboko has already suffered from injuries, including a knee injury at the 2022 Wimbledon juniors. Mboko also needs to refine her service form, which led to 13 double faults in the final.
Her former coach Pierre Lamarche noted Vicky’s mental toughness. “Her attitude of no fear just showed up again,” he told Canadian media. “She just hates losing so much that she competes at a level I’ve never seen.” He said that she hated losing to her older sister Gracia (who competed at a national level) and worked relentlessly until she could beat her thanks to her powerful serve, forehand and tenacity.
“You could see the belief she had in herself,” said Sarah Kadi, a WTA and Tennis Canada coach who traveled to tournaments when Mboko was 8 years old, “Her poise on court has been exceptional, facing these big-time players. She steps on court with no doubt.”
Tournament director Valérie Tétreault called Mboko an inspiration for the country with her attitude that anything is possible. “I think she has a bright future ahead of her. It’s great for the popularity of this event, but even more so for the popularity of tennis.”
Grand Slam Magazine 