Victoria Mboko Stuns Osaka to Capture Montreal National Bank Open Title
Canadian teenage sensation Victoria Mboko capped a remarkable week on Friday by lifting the National Bank Open title in Montreal, overcoming a wrist injury and rallying from a set down to defeat former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.
The 18-year-old, who began the year ranked outside the top 300, will leap from world No. 85 to No. 25 following her maiden WTA Tour title. Mboko becomes only the third Canadian woman to win her home event in the Open Era, joining Faye Urban (1969) and Bianca Andreescu (2019).
The turning point came early in the deciding set when Mboko saved four break points in a tense fourth game before surging to a 3-1 lead. Moments later, Osaka’s netted shot on championship point sent the teenager to her knees in celebration before she raced to embrace her family and coaches.
A packed and boisterous Montreal crowd roared Mboko to victory, so vocal that the chair umpire repeatedly urged spectators to remain quiet during points.
“When I had that winning moment and saw so many people standing up and cheering for me, it was surreal,” Mboko said. “I never thought this would happen so suddenly. It just proves your dreams are closer than they seem.”
Her triumph came despite battling a swollen and stiff wrist sustained during her semi-final win over Elena Rybakina. After undergoing X-rays and an MRI on Thursday, she received clearance to compete.
“There were moments where it was aggravating me a lot, but I just kept telling myself, ‘You have one more to go,’” she added.
Mboko’s path to the title included wins over four Grand Slam champions — top seed Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, Rybakina, and Osaka — marking a breakout performance on home soil.
For Osaka, the final marked her strongest run at a WTA 1000 event since reaching the Miami Open final in 2022. The Japanese star, who took a 15-month break from the sport before giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023, showed flashes of her best form but ultimately fell short against the inspired Canadian.
