Victoria Mboko produced one of the most spectacular runs to a title in recent memory.
In her debut season, and aged just 18, Mboko became the Canadian Open champion, defeating four different Grand Slam winners along the way.
Mboko won her home tournament after starting 2025 ranked 333 in the world. Seven months later, she is now set to enter the WTA’s top 25.
The teenager is on a meteoric rise and her latest victory has put her in the company of one of tennis’ greatest ever players.
Victoria Mboko second youngest player after Serena Williams to defeat four Grand Slam winners in one tournament
Victoria Mboko displayed her fearless brand of tennis to great effect during the Canadian Open.
She thrived on the support of the home crowd as she came from behind to win three of her seven matches in Toronto.
The last of these comebacks came against Naomi Osaka in Thursday’s final. The Japanese wrapped up the opening set for the loss of just two games in 38 minutes.
But Mboko stormed back in set two and opened up a 5-2 lead before taking it 6-4 and sending the match into a decider.
After Mboko and Osaka split the first two games of the third set, the Canadian was dominant as she won five successive games to win her first WTA Tour-level title, in front of her home fans.
After beating four major winners on the way to lifting the trophy, Mboko became the second youngest player in history to achieve this feat.
The youngest player is Serena Williams, who claimed successive wins against Grand Slam champions Conchita Martínez, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis to lift the 1999 US Open trophy.
Victoria Mboko joins Bianca Andreescu on special Canadian Open list
Mboko has become the newest member of the WTA 1000 champions club.
She beamed with pride as she defeated one of her biggest tennis idols in Osaka to become a title winner on tour for the first time.
Mboko has become just the third Canadian to win their home tournament in the Open Era behind Faye Urban in 1969 and Bianca Andreescu in 2019.
Post-match Mboko thanked the crowd for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.
“When I had that winning moment and seeing so many people standing up and cheering for me, it was kind of a surreal experience,” she said.
“I would have never thought something like this would have come so suddenly. It just proves that your dreams are closer than they [seem]. “It’s been an incredible week here. Montreal, je vous aime!”
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