Victoria Mboko just made tennis history in Montreal, but the celebration came with an unexpected twist. Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1 who fell to the Canadian teenager in straight sets, completely forgot to congratulate her opponent during the trophy ceremony.
Hours later, as criticism mounted online, Osaka took to social media to apologize and finally give Mboko the recognition she deserved.
How Did Victoria Mboko’s Historic Victory Unfold Against Naomi Osaka?
The apology comes after what had been a remarkable week for both players at the WTA 1000 tournament. For Osaka, it was her sixth appearance at the Canadian Open and her deepest run since returning from maternity leave, with statement wins over seeded players like Jeļena Ostapenko and Elina Svitolina. She was chasing her first title since the 2021 Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Mboko was the breakout star of the event, stunning top names including Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina. In the final, the Canadian teenager fought back from a set down to defeat Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Mboko joined an exclusive list of Canadian women to win the national title in the Open era, becoming just the third to do so after Faye Urban in 1969 and Bianca Andreescu in 2019.
VICTORIA MBOKO WINS THE NATIONAL BANK OPEN 🤩🇨🇦#OBN25 | @OBNmontreal pic.twitter.com/SOa3RN2vLb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 8, 2025
While Mboko delivered a heartfelt speech thanking Osaka for “an incredible match” and calling her an idol, Osaka’s comments to the Montreal crowd lasted under 30 seconds. She thanked her team, ball kids, organizers, and volunteers, but made no mention of her opponent.
Naomi Osaka after losing to Victoria Mboko in Montreal final
“I don’t really wanna take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2025
“I don’t really wanna take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, and volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night,” she said.
What Did Osaka Say About Not Congratulating Mboko on Court?
The short speech drew sharp criticism from fans online, especially after Osaka was also handed a code violation during the match for hitting a ball into the stands in frustration. She skipped the post-match press conference, but through a statement to the WTA, she later admitted she had forgotten to congratulate Mboko and praised her performance, saying:
“This morning I was very grateful. I don’t know why my emotions flipped so quickly, but I’m really happy to have played the final. I think Victoria played really well. I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. Yeah, I mean, she did really amazing.”
Osaka’s more personal and public acknowledgment came later on Threads. She admitted she was “in a daze” after the loss and trying to avoid repeating past trophy-ceremony mishaps, which led her to cut her speech short without acknowledging her opponent’s milestone victory.
“Thanks Montreal it’s been a really great run. I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realize I didn’t congratulate you on the court. Honestly I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY,” she wrote.
The “IW 2018” reference recalled her awkward, self-deprecating speech after winning Indian Wells, while the “Jenny/Jennifer” nod pointed to her 2021 Australian Open slip when she mistakenly addressed finalist Jennifer Brady by the wrong name.
Both Osaka and Mboko have since withdrawn from this week’s Cincinnati Open following their grueling Montreal campaigns, despite earning performance byes into the second round.
