Victoria Mboko of Canada kisses the trophy following her win over Naomi Osaka of Japan throughout finals tennis motion on the Nationwide Financial institution Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko staged a surprising comeback on Thursday (August 7, 2025) to beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6 6-4 6-1 and safe her maiden WTA Tour title on the Canadian Open in Montreal.
The 18-year-old wild card rallied after dropping the primary set to the Japanese former world primary, who had established a 3-0 lead, and held agency to cap a outstanding fortnight at dwelling.
It was Mboko’s fourth win over a Grand Slam champion within the event after the world quantity 85 defeated Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina en path to the ultimate.
“These previous two weeks have been insane,” stated Mboko, who started the yr ranked quantity 333.
“Even getting the wild card to play right here … I used to be tremendous completely happy to be taking part in in Montreal for the primary time ever. I simply keep in mind feeling nervous, however actually taking within the second as a lot as I presumably may.
“Once I gained my first spherical, I used to be tremendous completely happy and tremendous content material. I’d have by no means thought that I’d have made it to the ultimate not to mention win the event.
“I’ve so many feelings going by my head, I am unable to even specific it.
Native favorite Mboko discovered her rhythm within the second set, breaking serve to determine a 5-2 lead as Osaka struggled together with her returns, and she or he capitalised to stage up the competition and drive a decider.
The decisive second got here within the third set, when Mboko took a 3-1 lead after saving 4 break factors in a pivotal fourth sport that gave her a agency grip on the match as she went on to assert the title after two hours and 4 minutes of play.
“I need to thank Naomi from an unimaginable match,” Mboko stated on court docket earlier.
“I’ve all the time regarded as much as her once I was little or no. It is all the time nice to play with such an incredible participant such as you.
“I could not be extra grateful,” she added.
Mboko added that she was waiting for the U.S. Open, which begins on August 24, but in addition tempered expectations.
“I will be taking part in it for the primary time, so there’s a variety of new beginnings for me,” she added.
“Though I am experiencing all the pieces for the primary time this yr, I feel alongside the best way it is clearly going to be an up-and-down journey, however I simply need to benefit from the course of as a lot as potential.
“Not all the pieces will go my means or not all the pieces goes to be optimistic however I am simply actually completely happy to be on this scenario… I feel it builds character.”
For Osaka, who’s making an attempt to revive her profession after an inconsistent interval following her return from a maternity break, defeat prolonged her lengthy title drought.
“It is humorous, this morning I used to be very grateful and I do not know why my feelings flipped so shortly,” stated Osaka, who final lifted a trophy on the 2021 Australian Open.
“I am completely happy to have performed the ultimate. Victoria performed rather well. I fully forgot to congratulate her on the court docket, however she did actually superb.”
Revealed – August 08, 2025 12:02 pm IST
