Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko pulled off a stunning victory over Naomi Osaka to win the WTA 1000 title in Montreal. Mboko, just 18 years old, entered the tournament as a wildcard and was playing in her first WTA final. Despite losing the first set 2-6, she came back strongly to win the next two sets 6-4, 6-1, defeating the four-time Grand Slam champion.
The match capped off a fairytale run for Mboko, who started the year ranked outside the top 300. After a series of impressive wins throughout the week, including victories over major champions Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina, she has now climbed to number 34 in the world rankings.
Mboko converted eight out of nine break points and used the support of the passionate home crowd to her advantage. She described the moment as “unbelievable” and said it was surreal to see so many people standing up and cheering for her. Earlier in the day, she had to undergo an MRI scan on a wrist injury from the semi-final, but managed to push through and win the biggest match of her career.
Naomi Osaka, who returned to professional tennis in early 2024 after having a baby, looked strong in the opening set but began to struggle as Mboko stepped up her game. Osaka was visibly frustrated in the final set and even received a warning for hitting a ball in the air out of frustration. After the match, she admitted she was disappointed but praised Mboko’s performance.
Osaka, ranked 49th before the tournament, has not won a title since the 2021 Australian Open. She will now prepare for the Cincinnati Open as part of her US Open build-up. Mboko, meanwhile, will take a short break and enjoy the biggest win of her young career.
