Canadian teen Victoria Mboko pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, beating ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in an epic comeback to reach her first WTA final at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
The 18-year-old wildcard fought incredibly after losing the first set and saved a match point in the decider to complete a stunning turnaround on home soil. This marks the first time since Bianca Andreescu in 2019 that a Canadian has reached the final of their home tournament.
Victoria Mboko’s Emotional Reaction After Securing Her Place In Canadian Open Final
After winning the final point, Mboko dropped her racquet and covered her face with her hands, temporarily sitting down to take in what she had accomplished before getting up to shake hands with Rybakina.
Following the handshake with the chair umpire, she put her hands over her head in disbelief, struggling to comprehend that she had won such a crucial match. She then went to hug her coach, Nathalie Tauziat, in an emotional moment. While waving to the crowd, Mboko’s expressions clearly showed she could not believe what had just happened.
Victoria Mboko’s reaction after beating Elena Rybakina to reach Montreal final.
Pure happiness 🥹
She was outside of the top 300 in the rankings at the start of the year
She will be at least #34 when she leaves Montreal
18 year old sensation
🇨🇦❤️
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 7, 2025
Her composed approach to celebrating big wins has been consistent throughout the tournament. After her shocking upset of top seed Coco Gauff earlier in the week, Mboko explained her measured response:
“Well, of course, to play against Coco, it was a really special experience, and I was really happy to have won. But at the end of the day, I’m still in the tournament, so it’s not like I went to celebrate or anything.” She added: “I was still kind of locked in like I normally am in a tournament. You play a tournament because you want to win it. So I think I just had that kind of mentality.”
This mature mindset has helped the teenager stay focused on her goal and is the secret behind her success.
Mboko’s Remarkable Campaign At Canadian Open
Mboko’s path to the final has been nothing short of extraordinary, having started the year ranked outside the top 300 before climbing to 85th in the world. Her Montreal campaign began with wins over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell and 23rd-seeded Sofia Kenin, where she fired 27 aces across her first two matches.
She then rallied from a set down to defeat 39th-ranked Marie Bouzková 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, showing her fighting spirit even before the Rybakina match. The defining moment came in her fourth-round match against world No. 2 Coco Gauff, where Mboko delivered a masterclass performance, winning 6-1, 6-4 in just 62 minutes.
She saved all four break points she faced while converting four of five opportunities on Gauff’s serve. Her quarterfinal victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 set up the semifinal showdown with Rybakina, who had previously beaten Mboko 6-3, 7-5 in Washington just two weeks earlier.
With this run, Mboko has guaranteed herself a spot in the top 50 rankings for the first time. She faces the winner of Naomi Osaka vs. Clara Tauson in the final on August 7.
