Victoria Mboko spoke about Naomi Osaka not appearing for her post-match press conference after the Canadian Open final. The 18-year-old won her maiden WTA 1000 title in Montreal after beating the Japanese 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the title clash.
Victoria Mboko on Naomi Osaka Not Attending Press Conference After Canadian Open Final
Naomi Osaka had an impressive start to the Canadian Open final as she won the first set 6-2. However, Mboko bounced back and won the next two sets to win the match. Osaka was far from pleased with the defeat and this was reflected in her runner-up speech, where she did not congratulate her opponent, something that garnered a lot of criticism from fans.
The Japanese later did not attend her post-match press conference but she did give some comments which were later conveyed to reporters by the WTA.
After skipping the press conference, Naomi Osaka has provided quotes to the media, in a Q&A style format. No answer from officials on who asked her the questions. But one thing that jumps out immediately though…
Osaka: “I completely forgot to congratulate [Mboko] on the court.” pic.twitter.com/vrRcdLZ69N
— Harry North (@hsnorth_) August 8, 2025
Mboko was asked whether she spoke to Osaka after the match and what she felt about Osaka refusing to do a press conference. The teenager said that she respected the Japanese’s wishes and that playing her was special.
“No, I didn’t really get a chance to speak with her after the game, but I mean, I was kind of really caught up in everything that was happening after the match,” Mboko said.
“If that was her wishes, then I respect it as well. I mean, I still think Naomi is an incredible player, and it doesn’t ever change what I think of her. I think she’s still a really nice girl. I still look up to her. Nothing really changes after the match. I mean, I’m really happy that I was able to win today, but I mean, to play against her was also a really special moment for me,” she added.
Victoria Mboko on Winning on Her Home Court
Mboko also spoke about how it felt to win on her home court in front of the Montreal crowd, claiming that the moment was surreal.
“I think when I had that winning moment and seeing so many people standing up and cheering for me, it was kind of a surreal experience. I would have never thought something like this would have came so suddenly. I’m super happy for that, and I think it just proves that your dreams are closer than they are,” the Canadian said.
Mboko’s triumph saw her climb 61 places to 24th in the WTA rankings. She now has 13 out of 18 tour-level main-draw match wins so far during the 2025 season.
