Victoria Mboko made history in Montreal last week by becoming the third Canadian to win the biggest tournament in her home nation. The 18-year-old beat four former Grand Slam champions in her run at the WTA 1000—Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka—making her the youngest player to accomplish that feat at the same event since Serena Williams at the 1999 US Open.
So intense was the support for Mboko throughout Canada that her Montreal triumph caused an interruption in play some 300 miles away during the men's final in Toronto, where fans erupted in celebrations as news broke of her 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 final victory against Osaka.
Born in Charlotte, N.C., to Congolese parents, Mboko was raised in the Toronto area. Ahead of her US Open debut, check out some fun facts on the rising star.
Osaka was a childhood idol
Mboko's final opponent in Toronto was a fitting one in two-time US Open champion Osaka, whom the Canadian idolized growing up.
“I also want to thank Naomi for an incredible match. I've always looked up to her when I was really little, so it's always great to play with such an amazing player like you,” Mboko said during the trophy ceremony.
While Osaka gave a short speech as runner-up, she congratulated her opponent later in a social media post: "Congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realize I didn't congratulate you on the court. Honestly I was in a daze," she said in part.
All she does is win (53 times so far this year, to be exact)
Boasting a 53-9 record across all professional levels this season, Mboko is no stranger to the winner's circle. She started the season with a 22-match winning streak on the ITF World Tennis Tour and also earned victories at Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Miami and Rome. She also reached a WTA 125 final on the clay of Parma, Italy, this May.
One of her rare defeats this season came against Gauff in the Rome second round, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. After Mboko turned the tables on the American with a 6-1, 6-4 result in Montreal, the tournament's top seed was full of praise for the young talent.
“I’m sure we’re going to have many more battles in the future,” Gauff said. “I think she’s going to have a lot of success on tour.”
US Open debut
Mboko began the 2025 season ranked world No. 333 but has rocketed up to a career high of No. 24 behind her Montreal title. After successfully qualifying for Wimbledon and Roland Garros in her first two Grand Slam appearances as a pro, she is set to be seeded in her US Open debut.
The Canadian advanced to the third round in Paris before losing to eighth seed and reigning Olympic singles champion Zheng Qinwen, then upset 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the London first round.
In New York, Mboko will hope to build on the recent US Open success of her countrywomen, with Bianca Andreescu the champion in 2019 and Leylah Fernandez finishing runner-up in 2021.
