Teen tennis sensation Victoria Mboko is making headlines around the world after her stunning performance at the Canadian Open, where she defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to reach her first ever WTA 1000 level semifinal.
The 18-year-old Canadian dazzled on home soil in Montreal with a confident 6,4, 6,2 victory, continuing a fairytale run that has captured the imagination of fans across the country.
Ranked No. 85 in the world, Mboko has stunned audiences with her composure, speed, and fierce shot making. Her latest win follows a remarkable fourth round upset over World No. 3 and two time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, a match that firmly placed her in the global spotlight.
Now, Mboko will face a major challenge in the semifinal, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and tournament ninth seed. The match will mark a rematch of their recent clash at the Washington Open, where Rybakina prevailed in the second round. But Mboko’s current form suggests the upcoming semifinal could deliver a very different result.
“I’m so excited to be in the semifinal here,” Mboko said during her on-court interview. “My first time playing in Montreal has been an unreal experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Mboko’s 2024 season has been nothing short of extraordinary. Starting the year ranked No. 333, she kicked off the season with an impressive 22 match winning streak on the ITF Circuit, collecting five titles along the way. Her dominance on the lower tier tour quickly paved the way for her WTA Tour debut in March.
She then made an impressive run at her very first Grand Slam appearance, advancing to the third round of the French Open, a rare feat for a debutante. At Wimbledon, she continued to turn heads by eliminating 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the first round.
With her current momentum, Mboko is expected to break into the WTA top 50 when the rankings update next week, a major leap that reflects her steady rise through the ranks in just a few months.
With her semifinal appearance, Mboko becomes the first Canadian woman to reach this stage of the Canadian Open since Bianca Andreescu won the title in 2019. She is also the youngest player to reach the semifinals of the tournament since Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic achieved the feat in 2015.
Her success has reignited national excitement in Canadian tennis, which has seen a lull in major wins since Andreescu’s 2019 US Open triumph. Fans at Montreal’s 3,500 seat stadium have rallied behind Mboko, whose humility, determination, and confidence on the court have made her an instant crowd favorite.
Mboko’s rapid rise is also symbolic of a new generation of Canadian athletes who are breaking barriers in global sports. At just 18, she is showing the potential to become a long term force in women’s tennis, and perhaps even a future Grand Slam champion.
As she prepares to face Rybakina in one of the biggest matches of her young career, Mboko is staying grounded. The Canadian Open semifinal offers not only a shot at a historic final appearance but also a chance to cement her place among the elite names in women’s tennis.
Rybakina, for her part, advanced to the semifinal after her quarterfinal opponent, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, retired mid match due to a wrist injury while trailing 6,1, 2,1. The Kazakh powerhouse will pose a formidable challenge, but Mboko’s current form and fearless approach suggest she’s more than ready. No matter the outcome, Victoria Mboko’s remarkable run at the 2025 Canadian Open marks a turning point in her career, and a proud moment for Canadian sport.