A Star Is Born In Montreal As Victoria Mboko Wins National Bank Open
Canada has a new tennis hero. At just 18 years old, Victoria Mboko delivered one of the most thrilling runs in recent memory, overcoming a wrist injury and a lineup of former Grand Slam champions to win the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Mboko’s victory came in dramatic fashion as she rallied from a set down to defeat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 2 to 6, 6 to 4, 6 to 1 in front of a roaring home crowd. The atmosphere inside IGA Stadium was electric, with fans on their feet for every point as the young Canadian fought her way to her first career WTA title at one of the most prestigious tournaments in tennis.
The win places Mboko in elite company, making her only the third Canadian to win the tournament in the Open Era and the first to do so in Montreal. She will now climb to twenty fifth in the world rankings after starting the year outside the top three hundred.
Her road to the title was nothing short of remarkable. Over the course of the week, she took down four former Grand Slam champions including Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin and Elena Rybakina before toppling Osaka in the final. Along the way she battled through grueling three set matches, saved match points and pushed past visible pain from her wrist injury.
Mboko’s composure and grit made her a fan favourite, with Montreal embracing her underdog spirit. The victory also marks a massive milestone in her career earnings as she collected seven hundred fifty two thousand two hundred seventy five US dollars for the win, more than doubling her total prize money to date.
The final itself was a rollercoaster. Osaka dominated the first set but the momentum swung in the second and third as Mboko broke serve repeatedly and found her rhythm. The closing game saw her fight back from forty fifteen down to seal the championship, a moment that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
This breakthrough solidifies Mboko as a rising force in women’s tennis and an inspiration for Canadian sports fans. With a performance bye into the upcoming Cincinnati Open and automatic entry into the US Open later this month, her journey is only just beginning.
While Mboko stole the spotlight in Montreal, Toronto hosted its own high stakes battle in the men’s final where American Ben Shelton staged a comeback to defeat Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6 to 7, 6 to 4, 7 to 6 for his third career title. The men’s doubles crown went to Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool after a nail biting 13 to 11 tiebreak win over Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
For Canadian tennis fans this week will be remembered as the moment Victoria Mboko announced herself to the world not just as a promising talent but as a champion.
Cover photo taken from Heute.at.
First photo is by Rob Prange / Copyright: © 2025 Jimmie48
Second photo is by Rob Prange / Copyright: © 2025 Jimmie48
