From under the radar to center stage at home
Eighteen-year-old Victoria Mboko has become the talk of the National Bank Open—and Canadian tennis—as she surges into her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Montreal. Just a week ago, few fans outside Tennis Canada’s inner circle knew the name. Now, she’s the last Canadian standing in either singles draw, with a prime-time clash against Spain’s Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro on Monday night.
Her stunning 6-1, 6-4 takedown of world No. 2 and top seed Coco Gauff on Saturday night sent shockwaves through the tournament. The match lasted just 62 minutes and confirmed what insiders have long suspected: Mboko is built for the big stage.
“She stood up to the moment,” said Guillaume Marx, Tennis Canada’s VP of high performance. “The crowd was packed, and she delivered.”
A breakout year built on bold choices
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but raised in Canada, Mboko began 2024 ranked outside the Top 300. She trained most of the year at the Justine Henin Academy in Belgium, but a pivotal decision last November—to return full-time to Tennis Canada—helped ignite her rise. Since then, she’s compiled a 50-9 record across all levels, including 22 straight-set wins on the ITF Challenger tour and qualifying runs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Mboko is now ranked No. 85 in the world and climbing fast. Her all-court game and mental maturity have drawn praise across the locker room, including from Madison Keys.
“I think she’s a fantastic tennis player,” said Keys. “None of us are surprised by her rise.”
Eyes on Cincinnati, and the US Open beyond
If Mboko beats Bouzas Maneiro, she’ll earn a Special Exemption into the Cincinnati main draw. Otherwise, she’d need to begin qualifying just two days later—a grueling turnaround that puts her schedule in flux. Either way, she’s already secured a coveted main-draw berth at the US Open, marking her Grand Slam direct-entry debut.