Canadian tennis prodigy Victoria Mboko is making waves at the National Bank Open tennis tournament. At just 18 years old, Mboko has reached the final after a hard-fought victory over ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals, with a score of 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
Sports News: At the 2025 National Bank Open tennis tournament, Canada's 18-year-old tennis sensation, Victoria Mboko, has stunned the tennis world by defeating WTA World No. 9 and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals to advance to the final. This is considered the biggest win of her career. She will now face four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Decisive Defeat of Rybakina
In the semi-final match, Mboko displayed tremendous resilience, defeating Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4). After a crushing defeat in the first set, Mboko won the second set 7-5 and saved two break points in the third set, dragging the match to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, a confident Mboko seized control of the match.
Mboko's performance has not only thrilled the home crowd but has also earned her a special place in Canadian tennis history. Mboko's WTA ranking is 85, and if she wins the title, she will become only the third Canadian player in the Open Era to win her home tournament (National Bank Open). Previously, Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019) achieved this feat.
After the win, Mboko said, "This was the toughest and most unforgettable match of my career. I thank everyone who supported me. This proves that anything is possible."
Now Naomi Osaka's Challenge in the Final
In the final, Mboko will face Japanese star Naomi Osaka, who defeated Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-2, 7-6 (7) in another semi-final to advance to the final. This is Osaka's first time reaching the final of this tournament and her best WTA 1000 performance since the 2022 Miami Open.
Osaka said: "The match against Tauson was mentally challenging, but I managed to stay focused on my game. I am now excited about the final." Osaka is looking for her eighth career title and her first major title since the 2021 Australian Open.
Khachanov Eliminates Zverev in Men's Category
In the men's singles category, Russia's 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov caused a major upset by defeating top-seeded German player Alexander Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 to reach the final. Khachanov will now face the winner of the all-American semi-final between American players Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. The 29-year-old Khachanov has won 7 titles on the ATP Tour so far. He showed amazing consistency and experience in this match.
