Archive of posts tagged Omnium Banque Nationale

Montreal Champ Mboko to Skip Cincinnati to Rest Wrist

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By Chris Oddo | Friday August 8, 2025

18-year-old Victoria Mboko is the talk of the town in Montreal and around the tennis world after she claimed her maiden WTA title on Thursday evening with an emotional win over Naomi Osaka in the Omnium Banque Nationale final.

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She’ll take some time away from the spotlight, however.

The Canadian has elected to pull out of the Cincinnati Open draw in order to rest the wrist she injured while falling during her semifinal win over Elena Rybakina in Montreal.

“I’m not planning on playing Cincinnati at the moment,” she said, after explaining that her right wrist was swollen on Thursday, and adding that she went to the hospital earlier that day for an MRI/X-Ray. “I just want to take care of my wrist a little bit right now, and I think it’s just very close and sudden for me to go there and play again I think in, like, two days.

“I think I’m just going to sit out on that one and prepare for the upcoming tournaments.”

Osaka, who reached her first WTA 1000 final since 2022 in Montreal, has also withdrawn from Cincinnati.

Mboko admitted that the swelling in her wrist was concerning but said it didn’t affect her play against Osaka too much.

“It was pretty swollen, and it was really stiff and hard to move,” she said. “So we decided to go to do an MRI and an X-ray just to make sure that nothing too serious was happening, that I could have the possibility of playing.

“When I got the green light, I just had to make sure I saw the physios, and we taped it up properly before the match and a very solid tape job. Yeah, I just did as much as I could to prepare for the match.”

Mboko, who rose from No.85 to No.24 in today’s WTA rankings, defeated four former Grand Slam champions during her run to the title in Montreal. It was just her seventh WTA main draw.

She says she doesn’t want to get over the moon about her success, however.

“I surround myself with people who have known me for so long, and I just like to keep a small circle,” Mboko said. “I like to be really relaxed and calm. So I think going forward, I just want to keep the same routines that I’m usually used to.

“I don’t want to put so much pressure on myself just because of something that happened this week, because life goes on. There’s always another tournament, whether win or lose. I’m just happy to live the moment. Once it’s passed, it’s passed.”

Victorious Victoria! 18-Year-Old Mboko Stuns Rybakina to Reach Montreal Final

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By Chris Oddo | Wednesday August 6, 2025

Grand Slam champions keep stepping up to face teen sensation Victoria Mboko in Montreal, and the kid keeps knocking them down.

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For the third time in six matches at the Omnium Banque Nationale, Mboko defeated a former major champion, as she advanced to her maiden WTA final with a 1-6 7-5 7-6(4) victory over Elena Rybakina.

“It was an incredible match,” Mboko, who has also defeated Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff on her way to the final, told the Montreal crowd. “I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me tonight. It was electric, and I’m very happy – oh my god!”

Mboko battled over two hours and 45 minutes, rallying from a set down and twice from a break down in the final set as she saved a match point and finally pushed past the No.9 seed in a tiebreak, winning the final three points to lock up a spot in the final where a fourth former major champion – Naomi Osaka – will be waiting.

Osaka defeated Clara Tauson in Wednesday’s second semifinal, 6-2 7-6(7).

Mboko survived despite winning only 35 percent of her second-serve points, thanks to a 72 percent first-serve percentage and a very timely break game. With pinpoint returns, stellar defense, and plenty of guile she earned six breaks of Rybakina’s serve as she locked up her second consecutive Top 20 win and became the youngest woman to reach the final in Canada since Belinda Bencic in 2015.

What was Mboko most proud of?

“I would say my ability to kind of come back in the third set,” she said. “I feel like after I had that fall, I wasn’t in the greatest spirits. Of course, she was playing really great tennis on top of that, but I’m happy that I kept my composure, and I was kind of patient in the right moments.

“I just feel really happy that I was able to bounce back after being down. Even a match point…”

Mboko is also the only Canadian woman to ever defeat three former Slam champions in the same event in Open Era history.

“It was very difficult, Elena is a very good player, but anything can happen,” Mboko said.

The victory was not accomplished without adversity.

Mboko took a fall in the second game of the final set, and had her right wrist examined after the third game, but she was able to play through the pain to get the victory against the woman who knocked her out of the Washington, DC draw last week.

“Unfortunately I fell,” Mboko said. “But everybody was supporting me and pushing me through.”

A remarkable effort from a young woman who is playing in her seventh WTA main draw, and just her third at the WTA 1000 level.

Ranked 85 at the start of the week, Mboko is up to 34 in the WTA live rankings at the moment. She was outside the Top 300 when the season started but 41 wins and just eight losses across all levels have propelled the former junior world No.6 to her current perch.

A Battle Royale

It was tense from start to finish against Rybakina, who rallied from a break down to level at 5-5 in the second set, just two games from the win. But Mboko won eight of the final ten points of the set to force a decider.

In the third, Rybakina was in the driver’s set again, leading 4-2 and 5-3 with a break, but she failed to convert a match point while serving at 5-4 and was broken.

After breaking back in the next game, she was broken at love by Mboko and a tiebreak ensued.

The Canadian saved her best for last – a line-licking forehand that went for a winner and a 5-4 lead in the breaker. Two points later she sank to her knees in disbelief, another Grand Slam champion, another victim of a raw, talented phenom on the rise.

Mboko’s Dream Run Continues – 18-Year-Old Reaches Montreal Semis

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By Chris Oddo | Monday August 4, 2025

Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko is on her way to becoming a star. Already turning heads at Roland-Garros, where she reached the third round from qualifying, the Canadian continues to impress on her home soil, where she reached the semifinals at the Omnium Banque Nationale with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain before a thrilled, partisan crowd on Monday night.

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Mboko is the fourth youngest woman to reach the last four at the WTA’s 1000 level event in Canada since 2000, and the youngest since 2015.

“I know it’s not over,” she said. “I’m so excited to be in the semifinals here, it’s been unreal.

“I think just to play in front of the Canadian crowd – I train here and it’s my first time playing in Montreal and it has been an unreal experience and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Mboko will face Elena Rybakina in the semifinals on Wednesday in Montreal. She is slated to crack the Top-50 in next week’s rankings, regardless of how she fares against the former Wimbledon champion in the semifinals.

There were no break points through seven games in a tight opening set, then three in succession as the Canadian locked up the set with her second break for 6-4.

After falling behind 2-0 in the second the Canadian pegged the accelerator and reeled off the final six games to clinch victory in 77 minutes.

Rybakina got past Marta Kostyuk earlier in the day when the Ukrainian was forced to pull out with a wrist injury while trailing 6-2, 2-1.

Osaka: Three Reasons for Montreal Resurgence

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 4, 2025
Photo credit: Omnium Banque Nationale Facebook

Being fitter makes you smarter on court, Andre Agassi famously observed.

Naomi Osaka points to improved fitness as one of three main reasons for her Montreal resurgence.

Former world No. 1 Osaka crushed former US Open semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0 in a 49-minute thrashing that was the shortest match of her accomplished career.

Anastasija Sevastova

It is Osaka’s fourth straight win equaling her longest winning streak of the season which came in Auckland in January. It sent Osaka into her first Canadian Open quarterfinal and vaulted her to No. 34 in the live rankings—as she moved within striking distance of a US Open wild card.

Osaka attributes her career-best Montreal to three primary reasons: she’s fitter on court, happier off court and believes her trial with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski is working well so far because of the Polish’s coaches direct, no-nonsense style.

“Honestly, I think for me what’s working well is I am very confident in my fitness,” Osaka said. “I’m really
comfortable just getting balls back now, and I really enjoy Tomasz. I don’t know if to say his name is ‘Thomas’ or ‘Tomasz.’ I’m so sorry.

“But I enjoy his coaching style. He’s very direct and to the point. For someone like me, who my thoughts scatter around often, it’s very helpful.”

At times this season, Osaka was getting beaten by deep balls in the corner and sometimes tried playing big strikes down the line rather that playing back a deep ball to give herself time to recover back to the center of the court.

In fact, as recently as her 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 comeback conquest of 13th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in round two, Osaka was getting beaten repeatedly in crosscourt exchanges and sometimes taking one big step rather than the short, precise preparation steps to give herself ideal spacing between her body and the ball.

The 2023 Montreal finalist Samsonova held double match point at 6-4, 5-4, 40-15 when Osaka dug down and denied two match points sparking her stirring comeback.

In retrospect, it’s possible that comeback win could change the course of Osaka’s season if she sustains this winning streak. Saving those match points, Osaka started putting productive points together rather than resorting to try to end points prematurely with one big strike.

Similarly, Osaka said she’s now focusing on achieving “Mini goals” at tournaments as she tries to stack more wins together and pursue her ultimate goal of a Top 10 return and eventually competing for Slam titles again.

“It’s weird. I talked to my dad, and he said, like, Just being healthy and happy is a form of success,” Osaka said. “I agree with that, but I want more.

“I mean, definitely, of course I would want to win slams, of course I would want to be in the top 10, but I
think I need to pace myself and go for the mini goals, and they’ll eventually turn into the big goals. Yeah, I think being in the quarterfinals here is a step to hopefully getting to the semis and the finals, so I’ll try to treat it more like that.”

Osaka scored her 20th win of the season in Montreal which matches her total 2024 victory output. Now, she’ll try to sustain her roll facing 10th-seeded Elina Svitolina for a semifinal spot. The 27-year-old Osaka has won four of seven meetings vs. Svitolina, who will test the Japanese power players patience with her precision.

Another Match Point Miracle for Keys, Who Advances in Montreal

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Madison Keys is having the year of her life, and she’s overcoming hurdles at seemingly every tour stop. Today in Montreal, another shining example as the American saved a pair of match points to get past Karolina Muchova, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, to book a quarterfinal spot at the Omnium Banque Nationale. 

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“Definitely really happy to get that win,” Keys said. “She’s such a great player, and she’s always such a tough opponent to go against. To be able to, after losing the first set, get back into the match, even being match points down, to be able to figure it out is always a good day.” 

2016 finalist Keys has now won from match points down three times this season – against Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open, against Sofia Kenin at Roland-Garros, and now Montreal, where either Swiatek or Clara Tauson will be her next opponent. 

Muchova had a pair of match points with Keys serving at 4-5 in the third. Previously, Keys, who improved to 35-10 on the season with her win, dropped the opening set before hitting back to take the middle set without surrendering a break. 

In the third Muchova and Keys traded breaks, then the Czech saved three break points while serving at 2-2 to stay on serve. She then had the opportunities with Keys serving at 4-5, 30-40, and six points later at ad-out. 

Keys held her nerve and serve, then converted her third break point for 6-5. She converted her second match point to clinch the hard-earned win in two hours and 21 minutes. 

Anastasija Sevastova

Osaka Routs Sevastova 

Naomi Osaka powered past Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0 in the second round of four women’s singles round of 16 encounters on Saturday, the Japanese recording her 20th win of the season to match her entire 2024 total.

Osaka got the win in 48 minutes as 386-ranked Sevastova had very little left after winning three three-setters to reach the round of 16.

She will face either Amanda Anisimova or Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

Tauson Stuns Swiatek in Stirring Montreal Win

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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 3, 2025
Photo credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty

A crackling Clara Tauson drive sent Iga Swiatek sprawling into a split behind the baseline. 

Dictating with her serve, Tauson displaced the powerful Pole with deep drives stunning Swiatek 7-6(1), 6-3 to score one of her biggest career wins in Montreal.

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It’s been a tournament of upsets and we’ve seen two of the biggest in the last two days. 

Canadian wild card Victoria Mboko shocked top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 last night. 

Tonight, Tauson sent the second-seeded Swiatek packing to set up an appealing quarterfinal clash vs. Australian Open champion Madison Keys. 

Earlier, the sixth-seeded Keys saved a pair of match points conquering Karolina Muchova, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, to book a quarterfinal spot at the Omnium Banque Nationale quarterfinals. 

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A calm Tauson denied seven of nine break points snapping Swiatek’s nine-match winning streak with a superb display of power-based baseline tennis. Apart from a sloppy tiebreaker, Swiatek did not play poorly, Tauson just took it to her when it mattered most.

The 16th-seeded Tauson handed the Wimbledon winner her first defeat since she fell to Jessica Pegula in the Bad Homburg grass-court final in June. 

One of the WTA Tour’s most commanding servers, Tauson showed tonight she’s much more than a big server. Tauson dotted all areas of the service box to set up her fierce forehand, hit her two-handed backhand with bold intent and while she’s not nearly as quick around the court as the speedy Swiatek, the 22-year-old Dane anticipated the direction of the Pole’s shots and often beat her to the punch. Perhaps that’s because Tauson faced Swiatek at Wimbledon, falling in straight sets at the round of 16 last month. 

Tonight, Tauson broke in the third game then backed up the break with a love hold for 3-1.

Though Swiatek earned double break point in the sixth game, Tauson dug in with defiance and fought off four break points during a punishing 14-point game. Tauson held firm for 4-2. 

Two games later, the six-time Grand Slam champion earned triple break point. Swiatek was on the verge of breaking again only to see Tauson tame the threat with a five-point surge to hold for 5-3. 

Cruising through her own service games, Swiatek threw down a strong hold at 15 for 4-5 then tightened the screws on Tauson’s serve in the 10th game. 

When the Dane served for the set, Swiatek finally broke through at 15 to level 5-all. 

The tiebreaker was even after two points when Tauson lifted her level racing through six points in a row seizing a one-set lead. 

A tough Tauson saved seven of eight break points in that opening set and repeatedly hurt her opponent with the wide serve.

Swiatek would have been wise to drop back a bit deeper behind the baseline to give herself more time on the return—and at least give Tauson a different sightline on serve. 

Catching her toss a few times, Tauson was decisive on serving direction as she won eight of the first 10 points on her serve in the second set. Belting deep drives, Tauson broke at 15 for a 3-1 second-set lead. 

Tauson slashed successive aces sealing a 7-6, 4-1 lead after one hour, 33 minutes of play. 

The six-time Grand Slam champion made a push holding in the sixth game then scoring her second break to cut the gap to 3-4. 

Unfazed, Tauson continued torching first strikes and exploited the Pole’s fifth double fault to break back for 5-3. 

Serving for one of her biggest career wins, Tauson did not flinch and when Swiatek netted a final backhand, Tauson broke into the wide smile to cap a well-deserved win.

Rybakina Holds Off Yastremska in Montreal

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By Chris Oddo, Saturday August 2, 2025

Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to defeat Dayana Yastremska on Saturday at the Omnium Banque Nationale, holding off the Ukrainian 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 to set a quarterfinal with Marta Kostyuk.

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Rybakina, seeded ninth and ranked No.12, had to work for it after she squandered a break lead in the opening set and was broken while serving to stay in it, in the twelfth game.

She rebounded and powered through the second set before turning the tables on Yastremska with a late break for 6-5.

In the final game Yastremska saved a trio of match points and earned a break point, which was erased by a brave second-serve ace from Rybakina.

The 2023 semifinalist will face Marta Kostyuk, who defeated McCartney Kessler, 5-7 6-3 6-3, in the round of 16 on Saturday.

Rybakina has won two of three previous meetings with Kostyuk, including the last two.

Swiatek Powers Past Lys in Montreal, Setting Round of 16 Clash with Tauson

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Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek continues to ride the hot hand on the North American hard courts. The six-time major champion hammered past Eva Lys of Germany on Friday night in Montreal, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the round of 16.

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The 24-year-old Pole has dropped just eight games through two rounds at the Omnium Banque Nationale, and will face 16th-seeded Clara Tauson next.

Tauson took out Yuliia Starodubtseva, 6-3 6-0.

Swiatek has now won nine matches on the trot, dating back to the start of her Wimbledon title run. She is bidding for her 13th career hard court title this week in Montreal, and her first since Indian Wells in 2024.

Swiatek improves to 43-12 on the season with her win.

More to follow…

Osaka to Trial Swiatek’s Ex-Coach Wiktorowski 

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty

Naomi Osaka didn’t waste time moving on from ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Former world No. 1 Osaka will begin working with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, Iga Swiatek’s ex-coach, on a trial basis starting in Montreal this week.

It’s a case of trading coaches as Swiatek currently works with Osaka’s ex-coach Wim Fissette.

The Polish website Polski Tennis reported the new partnership, confirmed by journalist Courtney Nguyen.

Under Coach Wiktorowski’s guidance, Swiatek captured four of her six Grand Slam titles. The pair parted in October of 2024 with Swiatek subsequently hiring Osaka’s ex-coach. Though Swiatek did not defend her Roland Garros championship, she made history as the first Polish player to win Wimbledon crushing Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, in The Championships final earlier this month.

Swiatek commenced her run with Wiktorowski at the end of the 2021 season. The pair captured four of Swiatek’s Grand Slam titles during their three-year partnership, and logged 19 of Swiatek’s 22 career titles. She was previously coached by Piotr Sierzputowski, and the pair won Roland-Garros together in 2020. 

“Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons, when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game,” Swiatek said after splitting wtih the Polish coach. “His experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I’ve never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together.

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“Our main goal was to become No.1 player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first. We aimed very high, we headed to every tournament with a clear goal to win it. Together with coach Wiktorowski we won many tournaments and 4 Grand Slams.”

Osaka announced her split from Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached her for nearly 11 months, over the weekend.

“Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you,” Osaka posted on Instagram. “Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Aryna Sabalenka, Citing Fatigue, Pulls out of Montreal

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The World No.1 is choosing rest at the moment. Amanda Anisimova

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 16, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka will take a little more time before she starts her North American hard court season. The American announced that she’ll skip the National Bank Open in Montreal, citing fatigue.

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She joins Paula Badosa [injury] on the sidelines, which means that Caty McNally and Moyuka Uchijima will enter the main draw.

“I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal,” a statement from Sabalenka read.


No.1-ranked Sabalenka recently lost in the semifinals at Wimbledon, falling to Amanda Anisimova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The three-time major champion is 47-9 on the season with three titles, but has yet tot win a major.

The National Bank Open will move to a 12-day tournament this year, taking place from July 25 to August 6, with main draw play commencing on the 27th.