Victoria Mboko Makes Shocking Confession of Potentially Withdrawing From the Canadian Open Final

Victoria Mboko has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open after her Canadian Open title win.

Victoria Mboko Makes Shocking Confession of Potentially Withdrawing From the Canadian Open Final

Victoria Mboko (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Victoria Mboko has provided an update on her wrist injury ahead of her Canadian Open title run. She stressed the importance of managing her fitness with the US Open approaching. The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough in Montreal, becoming the second-youngest player in the Open Era to defeat four Grand Slam champions in one tournament.

Before the final, Mboko admitted she had concerns about playing. She had injured her wrist after a fall during her semifinal against Elena Rybakina and feared it might stop her from facing Naomi Osaka. Despite the setback, she recovered enough to compete in the championship match. Mboko said in her post-match press conference:

I woke up in the morning and my wrist was a bit inflamed from yesterday’s match, I went to the hospital for tests and they finally cleared me to play, luckily it was nothing serious. I was able to protect myself well for the match, it affected me a bit, but not too much, although at the beginning, I was nervous in the match because in the morning it was quite swollen. Still, I was well prepared to play motivated, and thanks to the crowd, I was able to move forward at times when the pain increased.

Her run included victories over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, two-time major winner Coco Gauff, and 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina. In the final, she rallied from a set down to beat former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. The win marked her first WTA singles title and came in front of a home crowd.

The Cincinnati Open is next, where both Mboko and Osaka have second-round byes. If she skips the event to rest, her next major competition will be the US Open, where she will debut as a seeded player at No. 24 in the rankings. She could also enter the Tennis in the Land or Monterrey Open the week before the final Grand Slam of the year through a wildcard.

Victoria Mboko makes history at the Canadian Open

The Canadian Open final featured Victoria Mboko against Naomi Osaka in Montreal. Mboko, playing in front of her home crowd, stunned Elena Rybakina to reach her first tour-level final. Osaka had advanced by defeating Clara Tauson, making her first WTA 1000 final appearance in three years. This is only the fourth all-unseeded final at a WTA 1000 event since the format changed in 2009.

Victoria Mboko, Naomi Osaka (2)
Victoria Mboko, Naomi Osaka (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

A win for either player would have placed them among the lowest-ranked champions of the past 16 years. Past examples include Osaka at No. 44 in 2018 Indian Wells, Belinda Bencic at No. 45 in Dubai 2019, and Danielle Collins at No. 53 in Miami 2024. Other notable cases are Victoria Azarenka at No. 59 in Cincinnati 2020 and Bianca Andreescu at No. 60 in Indian Wells 2019.

The list also includes Camila Giorgi, who won the 2021 Canadian Open ranked No. 71, and Serena Williams, who claimed the 2011 title ranked No. 80. Williams remains the lowest-ranked champion in WTA 1000 history under the current format. These triumphs often came with upsets over top seeds and established champions.

Currently ranked No. 49, Osaka would have moved into sixth place on that list if she won in Montreal, pushing her own 2018 title to eighth. Mboko, ranked No. 85, made history as the lowest-ranked WTA 1000 champion since 2009. Her victory surpassed even Serena Williams’ remarkable 2011 achievement.

Prize money earned by Victoria Mboko at the Canadian Open

The 2025 Canadian Open proved highly rewarding for Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka, both in prize money and ranking points. However, Mboko emerged as the standout performer. Starting the week well outside the top 50, the 18-year-old thrilled her home fans by claiming her first WTA Tour singles title at a WTA 1000 event.

Victoria Mboko (2)
Victoria Mboko (Image via X/Team Canada)

Her path to the trophy was lined with big-name wins. She beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the second round, top seed and two-time major winner Coco Gauff in the fourth round, and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. In the final, she faced Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner.

Osaka took control early with two breaks to win the opening set. The second set saw a flurry of service breaks, but Mboko edged it 4-3 to level the match. In the decider, she dominated, winning the last five games to seal a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. The result capped a rapid rise for the teenager, who began the season ranked No. 333.

Mboko entered the tournament at No. 85 with 836 points but now jumps 61 spots to No. 24 after adding 999 points to her tally. She had only one point to defend from the same week in 2024, when she lost in the first round of an ITF event. The Canadian will be seeded at the US Open, joined by Osaka, who rises to No. 25 in the rankings.

Also Read: Ben Shelton Underscores Major Tactical Adjustments After Reaching First Masters 1000 Final at the Canadian Open