Victoria Mboko Credits Playing ‘Tennis Without Fear’ After Upsetting Coco Gauff in Montreal

World No.2 Coco Gauff has once again failed to reach the semifinals of the Canadian Open.

Victoria Mboko Credits Playing ‘Tennis Without Fear’ After Upsetting Coco Gauff in Montreal

Victoria Mboko, Coco Gauff (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Coco Gauff)

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Victoria Mboko was expected to face tough competition from Coco Gauff, but the latter was no match for the teen sensation. On Saturday (August 2), the Canadian ace took an hour and two minutes to knock Gauff out of the Canadian Open with a 6-1, 6-4 scoreline.

The 18-year-old has now become the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals in Montreal since Gauff three years ago, and also the youngest Canadian to make the last eight since Helen Kelesi in 1987. The win has also made the home favorite the only wild card at the Canadian Open to beat the first seed since Stephanie Dubois in 2006 (beat Kim Clijsters).

I don’t even know what to say yet. I was a little surprised by the whole thing; it all happened so fast. There were a lot of people. I feel like tonight I’ve absorbed the situation a little more, but I’m still a little emotional. I’m really happy and very satisfied with how things went today.

Victoria Mboko said during her press conference

Mboko has now tied the head-to-head record over Gauff to 1-1. They had earlier met in the second round of this year’s Italian Open, which Gauff had won in straight sets.

Honestly, I didn’t really feel a lot of pressure. I wanted to be even more relaxed than usual in these kinds of situations, because it was obviously very important that she wasn’t in front, especially in the second set, but I wanted to stay as calm as possible and not panic. I just wanted to stay as solid as possible and play tennis without fear.

Victoria Mboko added

Gauff has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals of the Montreal WTA 1000 event. She has reached the last eight thrice (2021-2023), while last year, her run ended in the third round. Gauff hasn’t yet won a WTA 1000 tournament since the 2024 China Open.

This season, the two-time Grand Slam singles champion has made the final of two WTA 1000 events: at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, losing both to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and home favorite Jasmine Paolini, respectively. The only title that Gauff has lifted this year is the French Open, with a three-set win over Sabalenka.

Coco Gauff could lose her No.2 ranking to Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff could lose her No.2 spot if Iga Swiatek lifts the Canadian Open. At present, Gauff has 7789 points on the live rankings, while the Pole stands third on the rankings table with 6933 points.

Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek
Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

If the six-time Grand Slam champion beats Clara Tauson in the fourth round, she will have 7028 points. And with 7813 points (if she wins the tournament), Swiatek will remove Gauff from the second spot and inch a bit closer to reclaiming her No.1 spot from Aryna Sabalenka, who sits comfortably on top of the table with 12225 points.

Because Swiatek had failed to defend the points in five tournaments this year, she had dropped to the eighth spot. But her Wimbledon victory took her to the top three once again. In the Wimbledon final, she beat Amanda Anisimova with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline. It was her first title on grass.

Victoria Mboko, on the other hand, started the season at No. 333 and started the Canadian Open as a No.85 player. She currently stands at 53rd position on the live ranking. If she beats her quarterfinal opponent, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, she will again reach a career-high ranking of No.24.

At the Canadian Open, Swiatek is aiming to reach the final for the first time. She produced her best when she reached the semifinals in 2023. The 24-year-old had skipped the tournament last year.

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