Canadian teenage tennis sensation Victoria Mboko announced her arrival on the global stage by clinching the 2025 Canadian Open title in Montreal, stunning the tennis world with a remarkable victory over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. The 18-year-old battled back from a set down to triumph 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final, marking her maiden WTA title and capping an extraordinary tournament run.
Victoria Mboko (CAN) returns the ball to Naomi Osaka (JPN) during singles final play at IGA Stadium(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Mboko’s journey to the trophy was nothing short of spectacular. Along the way, she defeated four Grand Slam champions: Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Osaka, becoming only the second-youngest player in history to do so at 18 years and 11 months. The only player to achieve this feat at a younger age is Serena Williams, who famously did so at the 1999 US Open when she was 17 years and 11 months old.
Starting the tournament as a wildcard ranked No. 85, Mboko’s breakthrough propelled her world ranking to No. 25, making her one of the lowest-ranked players ever to claim a WTA 1000 event. She also became just the third Canadian to lift the Canadian Open trophy in the Open Era, joining the ranks of Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019).
Who is Victoria Mboko?
Born in 2006 in North Carolina in the United States, Mboko moved to Toronto as an infant with her parents, Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi, who emigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tennis runs deep in her family, with her three siblings having competed at the collegiate level, inspiring her to pick up a racket as a child.
Mboko claimed her first professional singles title at an ITF W25 event in Saskatoon in 2022 and successfully defended it the following year.
Her 2023 season also saw her reach junior Grand Slam doubles finals at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In early 2025, Mboko set the tennis world alight by winning four ITF titles across various countries, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, the U.S., and England. Notably, she amassed a 22-match win streak without dropping a set, setting a new Canadian women’s record for consecutive ITF main-draw victories.
Mboko trained in Belgium under renowned coaches Nathalie Tauziat and Nolle van Lottum. Her rapid development was on full display at the 2025 French Open, where she became the youngest Canadian to win a Grand Slam main-draw match, impressing fans and experts alike with her athleticism, composure, and fearless style of play.
Reflecting on her Canadian Open triumph, Mboko remained gracious in victory, expressing deep respect for Naomi Osaka, whom she described as “an incredible player” and “still a really nice girl” whom she continues to look up to.
AloJapan.com