Canadians gush over Victoria Mboko's miraculous triumph at National Bank Open, call out Naomi Osaka's post-match behaviour
For fans of Canadian tennis and appreciators of a good underdog story, Thursday night was a movie.Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian sensation who took the tennis world by storm during her miraculous run at the National Bank Open in Montreal over the past 10 days, put the finishing touches on her first WTA title.In doing so, she ousted four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who drew the ire of fans online for what many felt was disrespect toward Mboko in her post-match presser, after she didn't congratulate the young champ.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementOthers also pointed to the fact that Osaka has openly discussed her mental health struggles in the past, and it appeared that Thursday's match visibly took a toll on her.And happy the crowd was. The rowdy Montreal crowd absolutely erupted when Osaka put championship point into the net, while Mboko dropped her racket, fell to her knees and covered her face in disbelief.What a moment as a star was born in real time.Even fans at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto went ballistic as news of Mboko's triumph traveled west, resulting in a pause during the men's championship match while the crowd showed its appreciation for the Burlington, Ont., product.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe moment hilariously left American men's star Ben Shelton a little confused.With the stunning triumph, Mboko became just the third Canadian to win the country's flagship tennis event in the Open Era — Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Faye Urban (1969) — and the first to capture the title in Montreal.Mboko praised the crowd post-match: "It's been an incredible week here in Montreal ... je vous aime!"The 18-year-old's road to her first title was anything but an easy one. Her path included clashes with — and victories over — four different Grand Slam Winners, including 2020 Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementShe also ousted 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion (and world No. 2) Coco Gauff in the Round of 16, and took down arguably the best server in the women's game, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, with a legendary performance in Wednesday's semi-final.Mboko became the first Canadian player in the Open Era (since 1968) to defeat three women's singles Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event, and put the cherry on top by extending it to four with her win over Osaka in the final.She also put herself in the most elite company you can imagine, becoming the second-youngest woman ever to defeat four Grand Slam Champions in a single event. The only woman to pull off the feat at a younger age was the GOAT, Serena Williams, in 1999. Mboko also became the youngest Canadian woman in the Open Era to win the Canadian Open.And it wasn't just her age and lack of experience that made this triumph on home soil so ridiculous. Her meteoric rise over the past few months has been almost unfathomable, as Mboko started the year on International Tennis Federation (ITF) Challenger tour — essentially the minor leagues of women's tennis — before making her way to the WTA Tour.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementMboko was ranked outside the top 300 (No. 333) in the world to begin 2025, before skyrocketing her way up to 85th and earning a wildcard bid into her home country's tournament after qualifying for both the French Open and Wimbledon.She is just the the second wildcard entry ever to win the National Bank Open after tennis great Monica Seles did so in 1995. She is also just the second player since 2009 to win her first WTA title at a WTA 1000 event, and is the second-lowest ranked player since 1990 to win a Tier 1/WTA 1000 event.Mboko absolutely racked up the accolades with her eye-catching performance in Montreal, and Canadian tennis fans and legends of the sport were more than ready to heap praise on the up-and coming teenage tennis sensation, who will now jump all the way to 25th in the women’s singles world rankings after her triumph at the NBO.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementNaomi Osaka honoured by Mboko's admiration, despite tough end to matchOne of the most heartwarming storylines heading into final was an old quote that surfaced where a 14-year-old Mboko claimed that her opponent, Osaka, was her idol.Osaka reacted to Mboko's comments with humility:“I don’t think that’s ever happened. I’m shook (laughing). No, I mean, it’s really cute. I guess I have to have a really good attitude tomorrow, I can’t let [Mboko] not like me anymore. I don’t know, it’s funny because I see her on the TV, and I was low-key, like, ‘That’s my little twin,’ because we both have our blue dresses and our buns and everything.“I’m really honoured. I always said that I would love to play someone that looked up to me in a way, so it’s happening way sooner than I thought it would,” Osaka said pre-match on Thursday.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementWhile Osaka's post-game handshake sparked frustration, many were quick to highlight the star went immediately to the WTA mental health team after the trophy ceremony. While the star did not adhere to tradition, the decision to prioritize her self-care is also being lauded.Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementIn a transcript provided by the WTA after the match, Osaka said: “I think Victoria played really well ... I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court. … She did really amazing."Mboko, who was the epitome of class all week long, didn't take what many viewed as a snub from Osaka too personally — choosing to take the high road instead."No, I didn't really get a chance to speak with her after the game, but I mean, I was kind of really caught up in everything that was happening after the match," Mboko said of Osaka.If that was her wishes, then I respect it as well. I mean, I still think Naomi is an incredible player, and it doesn't ever change what I think of her. I think she's still a really nice girl. I still look up to her. Nothing really changes after the match. I mean, I'm really happy that I was able to win today, but I mean, to play against her was also a really special moment for me. Victoria MbokoMboko will try to carry her hard-court momentum into the final Grand Slam of the season when the US Open kicks off in a couple of weeks. She will, unbelievably, be a seeded player in just her third career major.
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