Victoria Mboko took the tennis world by storm with her victory over Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final.
Mboko came back from a set down to beat Osaka, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 and lift the first title of her career in Montreal at just 18 years of age.
The home hope became just the second youngest woman in the Open Era to defeat four former Grand Slam singles champions in a single tournament, older than only Serena Williams.
It was an astonishing campaign from Mboko, who revealed after the final how she initially thought her run at the tournament would go.
Victoria Mboko reacts to her successful Montreal campaign
Speaking to DAZN, Mboko said: “I mean, these past two weeks have been honestly insane. I just even remember getting the wild card to play here.
“I was super happy to even be playing in Canada or in Montreal for the first time ever, and I just remember feeling kind of nervous but just really taking in the moment as much as I possibly could.
“So I mean, when I won my first round, I was super happy and super content, so I mean I would have never thought that I would have made it to the finals, let alone win the tournament.
“To be here today on the last day of the tournament, I have so many emotions going through my head, I can’t even express them.”
Victoria Mboko’s incredible run at the Canadian Open
Mboko came into the Canadian Open after losing in the second round of the Washington Open to former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
She clinched two straight sets victories to kick things off in Montreal against Kimberly Birrell and 23rd seed Sofia Kenin.
| Round | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Final | Naomi Osaka (W) |
| Semifinal | Elena Rybakina (W) |
| Quarterfinal | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (W) |
| Fourth Round | Coco Gauff (W) |
| Third Round | Marie Bouzkova (W) |
| Second Round | Sofia Kenin (W) |
| First Round | Kimberly Birrell (W) |
After defeating Marie Bouzkova in round three, Mboko earned a huge win over world number two Coco Gauff, beating the two-time major champion in convincing fashion.
The teenager then overcame Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and in the semifinals, she got her revenge against Rybakina to advance to the championship match.
Her bout with Osaka got off to a shaky start, but Mboko fought back to secure the win and hold the trophy aloft in front of her home fans.
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