(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Victoria Mboko Shocks Rybakina to Reach National Bank Open Final
Montreal, August 7 — In a stunning comeback, 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko booked her place in the National Bank Open final, overcoming ninth seed Elena Rybakina in a thrilling three-set battle, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday night.
A Night to Remember for Canadian Tennis
Mboko, currently ranked No. 85 in the world, showed incredible composure and determination as she fought back from a set and a break down. With the home crowd cheering her on — many holding signs reading “Allez Vicky” — she saved a match point and broke Rybakina twice in the final set to force a decisive tiebreaker, which she won with poise.
As Rybakina’s final shot sailed long on match point, Mboko collapsed to the court in celebration while fans erupted in support.
“Incredible match,” Mboko said in French, addressing the crowd. “Thank you to everyone for supporting me. It was really difficult, but anything can happen.”
Next Challenge: Naomi Osaka in the Final
Mboko will now face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the final after a 6-2, 7-6 (7) victory over 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark in the other semifinal.
The championship match is scheduled for Thursday night, and Mboko will be aiming to win her first WTA Tour title — and become just the third Canadian woman in Open Era history to claim the prestigious title on home soil, following in the footsteps of Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019).
Home Crowd Advantage
“Playing in front of the home crowd, obviously, has its advantages,” Mboko shared. “You always have everyone pumping you up as much as they can. It really pulls me through in the tough moments. I feel really blessed to have that kind of support.”
With the crowd behind her and momentum on her side, Mboko heads into the final with confidence and a chance to make history.
