Victoria Mboko continued her breakthrough season on the WTA Tour with the biggest win of her career, knocking first seed Coco Gauff out of the Canadian Open.
Mboko defeated Gauff in straight sets, earning a maiden top ten win against the two-time Grand Slam champion in a match that lasted just 62 minutes.
The Canadian home hope is just 18 years old and became the first woman from her country to reach the quarterfinals at the event since Bianca Andreescu in 2019.
With her win over Gauff, she is also the fifth youngest player to defeat a top seed in a WTA 1000 competition since the format’s introduction in 2009.
There was once, however, a fellow compatriot of Mboko who advanced to the last eight of the tournament at an even younger age.
The WTA player younger than Victoria Mboko who made the Canadian Open quarterfinals
38 years ago, hometown favourite Helen Kelesi took the tennis world by storm in Toronto.
Kelesi, dubbed as ‘Hurricane Helen’ by the Canadian press, turned professional in 1985 and was coached by her father, Milan Kelesi.
She won two titles during her run in professional tennis and reached a career-high ranking of world number 13.
Kelesi’s two WTA titles:
- 1986 Japan Open
- 1988 Citta de Taranto
In 1987, Kelesi entered the Canadian Open, aged just 17, and advanced to the quarterfinals, where she met 18-time major champion Chris Evert.
The teenager’s impressive run came to an end against Evert, who dominated her 6-1, 6-0, wrapping up the contest in an hour, and allowing her just 22 points.
After the defeat, Kelesi said: “‘It was definitely a learning experience. I think I learned a lot about the pressure Chris puts on people.
“She had me running from corner to corner. I was tired from running around after the first set.”
Helen Kelesi’s life after retiring from professional tennis
In the years that followed, Kelesi went on to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open twice, in 1988 and 1989, her best finish at a Grand Slam.
She also clinched two doubles crowns, triumphing in Phoenix and Rome.
| Grand Slam | Best Result |
|---|---|
| Australian Open | Third Round |
| French Open | Quarterfinals |
| Wimbledon | Third Round |
| US Open | Third Round |
Kelesi’s career came to an end when a brain tumour was discovered after months of headaches and vision problems.
Following her recovery, she began coaching children in Canada and also became a part-time tennis journalist and commentator.
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