Canadian tennis sensation Victoria Mboko headed to final match at Canadian Open
Canada’s newest tennis sensation, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, continues to blaze her way to the top of the Canadian Open in Montreal.
Mboko pulled off a dramatic comeback to defeat Kazakhstan’s ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday evening, the latest chapter in a coming-out party that has captivated fans across Canada.
Mboko dropped to the ground after Rybakina’s shot sailed long on match point as an electric sold-out crowd erupted on IGA Stadium’s centre court.
In the last 10 days she has climbed the ranks to Wednesday’s semifinal matchup, leaving several top-seeded opponents in her wake, including Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the quarter finals.
Rybakina was well-known to Mboko. They faced off in Washington a few weeks ago with Rybakina emerging as the victor in straight sets. However, Mboko expected the conditions of their match in Montreal to be different with the Canadian crowd rooting for her.
“Of course, I kind of know what to expect,” Mboko told SportsNet . “I know how much I have to fight. I know Elena is a really great player and a really powerful player. … I’ve been feeling pretty good with myself as well. I’m just looking forward to have a really fun match.”
Mboko will face the winner of the other semifinal match featuring Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
How did Mboko do in the early rounds of the Canadian Open?
Mboko kicked off the Open by besting Australian Kimberly Birrell in the first round, serving up 15 aces in the process.
In round two, she faced Sofia Kenin, an American and a seeded player (a player who is highly ranked and placed strategically in a tournament by the organizers to prevent top players from having to face each other in early rounds).
Again Mboko prevailed, winning 6-2 and 6-3.
Against Czechia’s Marie Bouzkova in the third round, Mboko appeared to falter, losing the first set 6-1, but she got her groove back in front of the home crowd and secured a place in the round of 16 (the last round before the quarter-finals).
Mboko told SportsNet she shifted her mindset after the opening set and sharpened her focus on court mobility.
“In the second set, I wanted to make sure my movement was at least twice as (good as) it was in the first set, and my concentration as well,” said Mboko. “I feel like I wasn’t really as focused as I wanted to be.”
She faced top-ranked American Coco Gauff in a tough battle to emerge from the tournament’s Round of 16.
Gauff later told nationalbankopen.com that Mboko is “very athletic. She’s a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn’t get really too negative. I think she has a great support system around her, and I think that’s important when you’re young and on tour.”
What is Mboko’s family history?
Mboko was born an American in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006. Her family had immigrated there from the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, her parents moved the family to Toronto later that year.
She now hails from nearby Burlington.
The youngest of four children, all of her siblings play tennis. One sister and brother played at the college level in the U.S.
The siblings trained under former Canadian Davis Cup captain Pierre Lamarche . Then Mboko travelled to Belgium where she sharpened her skills at Justine Henin Tennis Academy .
What sparked Mboko’s appetite for pro tennis?
Mboko’s father Cyprien had the tennis bug originally. Back in the Congo, he and a friend were fans of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Steffi Graf.
He told Tennis Canada that the sport was good exercise for his children. “I must have bought about 1,000 balls from Walmart and they all seemed to end up in the bushes.”
How did Mboko’s career develop?
Mboko first found success in junior-level play, making the Under-14 final as a 12-year-old in 2018. Then she competed in junior Grand Slams, reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2022.
Mboko has also competed in doubles play, reaching the final at the Australian Open and Wimbledon with her Canadian colleague, Kayla Cross in 2022.
Though just 18, she has injured her knees, inspiring her to be more vigilant about caring for her body.
Is 2025 Mboko’s best year?
Earlier this year, Mboko achieved four straight lower-level titles in a 22-match winning streak, not dropping a single set.
She competed in her first senior-level Grand Slam at the French Open, making the third round. Mboko also won both her matches during her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Canada in April.
The Canadian Open continues through to the finals on Aug. 7.
— With additional reporting from The Canadian Press
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