Naomi Osaka was left “shook” after discovering that her Canadian Open opponent, Victoria Mboko, idolized her growing up.
The Japanese tennis star is set to face off against the home favorite in the final on Thursday. Mboko, an 18-year-old sensation, has made it to her first-ever WTA 1000 final.
The young Canadian has defeated big names like Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina to secure her spot in the final showdown of her home tournament. Osaka, who has seen a resurgence this year, was taken aback when she found out she is Mboko’s idol, a fact the teenager revealed in an interview years ago.
“I don’t think that’s ever happened. I’m shook,” Osaka said with a laugh. “No, it’s really cute. I guess I have to have a really good attitude tomorrow. I can’t let her not like me anymore.
“I don’t know, it’s funny because I see her on the TV, and I was low-key like, ‘That’s my little twin’, because we both have our blue dresses and our buns and everything. Yeah, I’m really honoured. I always said that I would love to play someone that looked up to me in a way, so it’s happening way sooner than I thought it would.”
Currently ranked 85th in the world, Mboko is expected to climb significantly higher following her impressive performance in Canada, providing a major boost ahead of the U.S. Open. Earlier this year, she reached the third round of the French Open and the second round of Wimbledon, breaking into the top 100 in June.
Despite battling through a wrist injury sustained in the second game of the third set, Mboko clinched a stunning 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 triumph over Rybakina in the semifinal.
“Incredible match, thank you to everyone for supporting me,” she addressed the crowd in French following her victory. “It was really difficult, but anything can happen.
“Playing in front of the home crowd, obviously, has its advantages. You always have everyone pumping you up as much as they can. It really pulls me through in the tough moments where I’m maybe not as positive. Really blessed to have that kind of support.
“She was playing really great tennis on top of that, but I’m happy that I kept my composure. I was patient in the right moments. I just feel really happy that I was able to bounce back after being down, even a match point.”
AloJapan.com