Archive of posts tagged Victoria Mboko

Karen Khachanov comments on Victoria Mboko win causing viral Toronto final stoppage

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Ben Shelton

Karen Khachanov suggests he wasn't that surprised by the Toronto crowd's reaction to Victoria Mboko's Montreal triumph as the Russian says stuff like this is pretty common in Canada.

In case you missed it, the clock struck at 30 minutes of play in the Toronto Masters final when the crowd started going nuts – it happened as Khachanov was preparing to serve against Ben Shelton. The Russian stood there waiting for the spectators to calm down, while his American rival looked in disbelief and had no idea what was happening. The chair umpire provided quick explanation by telling the 22-year-old that the crowd was probably celebrating Mboko's win over Naomi Osaka in the Montreal final.

When the play continued, Khachanov managed to win a very tight opener against Shelton with a 7-6 (5) scoreline. Unfortunately for the Russian, he didn't manage to complete the job as Shelton came back from a set down to win 6-7 (5) 6-4 7-6 (3).

Khachanov comments on the viral Toronto final interruption

In his post-final presser, Khachanov was asked whether he had experienced anything like that before. And he said that something similar happened when Denis Shapovalov upset Rafael Nadal at the Canadian Open eight years ago.

"I think in Canada it's happening, but, yeah, if I remember, I think every year it happens, you know, from city to city they cheer for a local player, yeah. I remember I think in long time ago it was with Shapovalov, when he reached also like first time semifinals I think when he beat Rafa. I was playing I guess in Toronto, and then I remember something like this was happening, yeah," the 29-year-old said.

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.

Montreal: Elena Rybakina reaches SF via Marta Kostyuk retiring; Issues classy comment

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Adelaide

Elena Rybakina progressed into the Montreal semifinal via a Marta Kostyuk but stayed very classy afterward, saying it definitely wasn't the desired finish to the match and wished her rival a speedy recovery ahead of the US Open.

The Kazakh tennis star, who is the No. 9 seed at the Canadian Open, made a lightning start to the match after breaking the 24th-seeded Ukrainian three times to easily bag the opener with a 6-1 scoreline.

Through the opening three games of the second set, Rybakina led 2-1 but without any breaks. But then, Kostyuk – who evidently appeared to be hampered by a physical issue on the court – retired from the match due to a wrist injury. It is worth mentioning that the 23-year-old Ukrainian played three matches in three sets in Montreal before facing the No. 9 seed. 

For Rybakina, it was her third consecutive victory over Kostyuk – the Kazakh lost their first meeting in 2023 Adelaide but has since been perfect against the Ukrainian. 

For the 2022 Wimbledon champion, next up for her in Montreal will be rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko, who defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Rybakina on Kostyuk's retirement: No one wants to finish a match like that

"Yeah, of course, it's not a nice finish of the match. No one I think wants to finish the match like this, but we played at least a set. I can say that on the baseline I was feeling quite well. A bit of struggle on the serve, but this is something for me to work on tomorrow. So yeah, I mean, for Marta, she's a tough competitor. She always fights. I just wish her a speedy recovery, because I know it's not easy when the big tournaments are ahead," the 26-year-old said after the match.

Rybakina will now turn her focus to Mboko, whom she beat in Washington two weeks ago.

Elena Rybakina wary of Victoria Mboko threat ahead of Montreal semifinal

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Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina may have beaten Victoria Mboko less than two weeks ago in Washington but the 2022 Wimbledon champion highlights she has taken notice of how the 18-year-old has played in Montreal so far and will enter their match fully cautious.

On Monday, the Kazakh tennis star was cruising toward a straight-set win over Marta Kostyuk when the Ukrainian retired from the match while 1-6 1-2 down. 

Next up for Rybakina will be one of the best stories of this year's Montreal tournament edition – teenage sensation Mboko, who has dropped just one set en route to making the semifinal. Also, it should be noted that the Canadian's path to the semis includes a stunning 6-1 6-4 win over top seed Coco Gauff.

For Rybakina and Mboko, it will be their second meeting in 12 days. In late July, the Kazakh former world No. 3 ousted the 85th-ranked Canadian 6-3 7-5 in their first encounter in Washington. 

Rybakina: The conditions will be different… Mboko is definitely dangerous and she has nothing to lose

"She's a tough opponent. She has really good strokes, and she plays fast, and she has really good serve. I feel like in Washington it was also a bit difficult for both of us since it was a night match, and the conditions were, like, very different. Now we are playing here, and it's more consistent, I would say. So she's definitely dangerous. She has nothing to lose, and I'm sure she's enjoying out there. Yeah, it's going to be a tough one. Hopefully I can bring my best," the 2022 Wimbledon champion said of the 18-year-old rising star.

Although not a lot of time has passed since their Washington meeting, Rybakina is right when she says that it will be a different matchup this time. After clinching five wins in Montreal and beating two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff, Mboko's confidence is undoubtedly sky high.

However, Rybakina still enters the match as the favorite to beat Mboko.

Coco Gauff quickly shuts down Victoria Mboko comparisons

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Coco

Coco Gauff refused to compare Victoria Mboko to herself and also added that others should not engage in such conversations because it would be "unfair" toward the 18-year-old Canadian.

On Tuesday, the rising Canadian star – who is ranked at No. 85 in the world – registered her biggest win by ousting the top-seeded American 6-1 6-4 in the round-of-16 of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal. 

From start to finish, it was Mboko who had the upper hand as the 18-year-old impressively converted four of her five break point chances, as well as saved all of Gauff's five break point opportunities. 

Before making her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Montreal, Mboko won five ITF titles earlier this year. The Canadian, who was ranked at No. 333 when the 2025 season, is now guaranteed to improve at least 30 spots on Monday and be ranked inside the top-55 for the first time in her career. 

Even before beating Gauff, Mboko drew certain comparisons to the American, who had a rapid start to her career. Those conversations only increased after the 18-year-old's impressive win on Saturday. 

Gauff: I don't think it's fair to put that on Mboko

"No, she's a completely different player, completely different person. I've never been one to compare myself to others, whether it be like people comparing me to Serena or Venus, and I don't think it's fair to put that on her as well. Yeah, but I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure," the 21-year-old American responded when asked if she recognized herself in the Canadian.

Gauff didn't want to compare Mboko to herself but she gladly said what she liked about the Canadian's game.

"I mean, she's very athletic. She's a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn't get really too negative," the two-time Grand Slam winner explained.

Victoria Mboko asked what went through her head while Coco Gauff was spraying errors

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Coco

Victoria Mboko claims she didn't think much or put any focus on Coco Gauff making errors on the court as she just wanted to stay locked in on executing her own tactics. 

In front of their home fans, the 18-year-old Canadian pulled off a big upset and recorded the biggest win of her career after ousting the current world No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion 6-1 6-4 to reach the Montreal quarterfinal. 

Going into the match, Gauff had struggled in her first two matches with double faults and unforced errors. And right from the start of their round-of-16 clash, Mboko took full control of the match and she was all over the top seed. 

While the American tennis star found her footing in the second set, Mboko was still the one who came up big when it mattered the most, saving four break points in the seventh game before collecting the key break in the 10th game.

During the match, Gauff had six double faults and 24 unforced errors. 

Mboko asked what crossed her mind when Gauff started making 'a lot of mistakes'

"Well, I mean, nothing really crosses my mind just because, I mean, that's the game. People make errors. It happens. I make errors too. So I was just really focused on myself and what I had to do. I didn't really focus as much as what she was doing in the match because I just wanted to play as solid of a game as I possibly could. I just wanted to do what I was supposed to do in the match and hope for the best," the world No. 85 explained.

When it comes to her own stats, Mboko was impressive – she had five break points and converted five of those. Also, the 18-year-old didn't allow Gauff to realize any of her five break point chances.

In her post-match presser, Gauff spoke highly of the rising Canadian tennis star and tipped her to have a bright future.

For a place in the Montreal semifinal, Mboko meets Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Coco Gauff confesses one mistake she probably made after Montreal run ends in R16

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Coco Gauff made an honest admission following her Montreal exit as the American tennis star admitted that she probably should have played in Washington and tried to kickstart her summer on hard courts in the United States capital.

After losing in the Wimbledon first round, Gauff went a full month without playing a match. This week, the world No. 2 returned to action by kicking off her North American hard-court swing at the WTA 1000 in Montreal. In Canada, the two-time Grand Slam champion heavily struggled with her serve and rhythm, but still managed to clinch ugly wins over Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova before world No. 87 Victoria Mboko handed her a 6-1 6-4 loss.

Across her three matches played, Gauff served 43 double faults and committed over 100 unforced errors. After the Mboko loss, the reigning French Open winner was asked if she had an idea why it was so hard to find her game and rhythm in Montreal.

Gauff: Deciding to practice over playing in Washington maybe wasn't the right decision…

"I don't know. That's a good question, honestly. I felt like in practice I was playing well the last few weeks just practicing. I decided to take some time off and not play DC to actually focus on that, and maybe that wasn't the right decision. Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt. But you know, it's the first tournament on the hard court season, so I'm hoping that in Cincy and in New York I can find that rhythm," the world No. 2 explained.

In four days, the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati is starting. While Gauff's Montreal run wasn't an impressive run, the 21-year-old still got some matches under her belt and that's a positive thing.

Cincinnati is a special place for Gauff, who lifted her maiden WTA 1000 crown in front of her home fans two years ago.

Ex-Slam champ finds it 'unbelievable' how Coco Gauff has been surviving in Montreal

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Former three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport says it is "unbelievable" that Coco Gauff has been winning matches in Montreal so far this week with her "C-level tennis."

So far, Gauff is two out of two at this year's Canadian Open. But both of her opening two matches were an absolute slugfest. Against Danielle Collins, the top seed sprayed a shocking 23 double faults and 74 unforced errors but still won 7-5 4-6 7-6 (2). In her following match, the two-time Grand Slam winner was down by a set a break – she fired 14 double faults – but somehow still found a way to beat Veronika Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.

As you could notice, Gauff's serving has been disastrous this week. But the top-seeded American is still alive and set to fight against Victoria Mboko for a place in the Montreal quarterfinal.

Davenport on Gauff's display in Montreal: Unbelievable she wins with her C-level tennis

“It was interesting she kept looking down at her grip when she was serving. It looked like they were trying to make some changes with the serve. She was not comfortable with it yet. It looks like they know it’s a problem and she didn’t have the confidence with it last night. Her toss was all over the place. But she still wins. It’s unbelievable her ability to figure out ways to win when she is playing, honestly, C-level tennis out there. She did a fantastic job managing her emotions," Davenport said on Tennis Channel.

Gauff's serving issues have been a major topic for the past two years. At times, the 21-year-old serves better consistently and that's when she usually does well. However, there are also periods when she simply can't catch any rhythm on her serve and that usually leads to some shock losses.

In Montreal, Gauff twice avoided picking a surprise defeat. It remains to be seen how she plays against Mboko.

Coco Gauff 'disappointed' in herself after another painful Montreal serving display

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Coco

Coco Gauff admits she is disappointed in herself when it comes to her serving display in Montreal but also adds she is happy with the fact that so far she has managed to find ways to win ugly.

In the Montreal third round, the American – who is seeded at No. 1 in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka – sprayed 14 double faults against Veronika Kudermetova and she was down by a set and a break at one point. With her back turned against the wall and her serve not working, the two-time Grand Slam champion pulled off a big second-set comeback – gradually improved her serve as the match went on – and avoided a shock loss by beating world No. 42 Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.

Gauff, who had a first-round bye, also double-faulted 23 times during her opening Montreal win over Danielle Collins – that makes it 37 double faults across two matches played at the Canadian Open.

Gauff: I'm disappointed in myself when it comes to the serve part

"Yeah, I mean, there's positives and there's negatives. Obviously, I am so disappointed in myself when it comes to that part of the game just because I didn't play DC to work on that and made changes to that and doing well in practice and serving really well in practice. Yeah, so I just would like for it to transfer to the match. It does give positives that," the top seed said.

"'Okay, I'm winning these matches having literally like one part of my game on a crutch.' So it's like if I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it would be a lot more straightforward and a lot more easier for me."

Gauff plays next against rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko. They met three months ago in Rome for the first time and the American was tested by the world No. 85 before coming back to win 3-6 6-2 6-1.

Gauff is evidently not happy with how she has served so far in Montreal and she will definitely emphasize doing much better in that department against Mboko.

WTA Post-RG Rankings: Boisson's Surge, Swiatek out of Top 5

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The biggest climbers in this week's post Roland-Garros rankings. Amanda Anisimova

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday June 10, 2025

The post-Roland-Garros WTA rankings are full of big moves, as the Race to Riyadh takes shape and we get a more accurate picture of who is in the best shape with the second major of the year now in the rearview.

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Scroll down to find out who made the biggest jump, and how the Race shapes up as of Monday’s new rankings.

Swiatek Drops to No.7

By not defending her title in Paris, Iga Swiatek drops a few spots and ends up out of the Top 5 for the first time since for the first time since February 2022. She’s still No.4 in the race so it isn’t all bad news for the five-time major champion.

Boisson’s Giant Leap

After thrilling her home country by reaching the semifinals in Paris in just her second WTA level event, Laurent Boisson enters the Top 100. She rises to No. 65, shattering her previous high of No. 152, after starting Roland-Garros at 361.


Zheng Top 5

Zheng Qinwen leapfrogs two spots to replace Swiatek in the Top 5. The Chinese star is back in the Top 5 for the first time since January, at her career-high.

Mboko Top 100, Anisimova Top 15

18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, who came through qualifying to reach the third round on her Grand Slam main draw debut, cracks the Top 100, jumping from No. 120 to No. 91.

American Amanda Anisimova—who made her Top 20 debut in February after winning the Doha title—powers into the Top 15 this week, rising one spot for a new career high after reaching the second week in Paris.

Other Notable Risers

No. 33 Ashley Kreuger, +2 (Career High)
No. 49 Jaqueline Cristian, +11 (Career High)
No. 50 Sonay Kartal, +6 (Career High)
No. 67 Yulia Starodubtseva +14 (Career High)
No. 78 Emiliana Arango +7 (Career High)
No.92 Leolia JeanJean +8 (Career High)
No.95 Robin Montgomery +20 (Career High)
No.98 Antonia Ruzic + 3 (Career High) No.100 Mananchay Sawangkaew +9 (Career High)