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Victoria Mboko Had Incredibly Moving Reaction to Continuing Wild Run at Canadian Open

The 18-year-old is off to the final of the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Victoria Mboko is off to her first tour-level final after a comeback win over Elena Rybakina
Victoria Mboko is off to her first tour-level final after a comeback win over Elena Rybakina | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Victoria Mboko is on a roll. The 18-year-old tennis sensation continued a wild run at the National Bank Open in Montreal on Wednesday with an incredible comeback win over WTA world No. 12 Elena Rybakina in three sets (1-6, 7-5, 7-6).

Rybakina is the third former major champion the Canadian native has defeated at the tournament, entering the women's singles draw as a wild card and taking down world No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 27 Sofia Kenin before the semifinal match Wednesday. Mboko only took one game in the first set against Rybakina, but battled all the way back and fought off a match point for a gutsy victory in a third-set tiebreak.

It's been an emotional week for Mboko, reaching incredibly high heights at the biggest event in her home country. When she completed the comeback with her back against the wall after a dominant first set for Rybakina, Mboko kneeled to the ground and covered her face, unable to believe the events that just transpired.

She's currently the world No. 85, a ranking that will rise astronomically after reaching her first tour-level final. Now, she awaits Naomi Osaka or Clara Tauson in the final for a shot at her first title at just 18 years old.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.