Canada’s Mboko rallies past No. 9 Rybakina; sets up showdown with Osaka in National Bank Open final

MONTREAL - Victoria Mboko’s historic climb has reached new heights.

The teenage sensation will play in the National Bank Open’s final after pulling off an epic, nail-biting comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday, the latest chapter in a coming-out party that has captivated fans across Canada.

Mboko dropped her head into her hands in disbelief after Rybakina struck a forehand long on match point as an electric sold-out crowd — lined with “Allez Vicky” signs for Canada’s newest tennis star — erupted following the instant classic on IGA Stadium’s centre court.

"Incredible match, thank you to everyone for supporting me," Mboko told the crowd in French. "It was really difficult, but anything can happen."

The 18-year-old from Toronto, who was born in Charlotte, N.C., to Congolese parents, saved a match point earlier in the third set and broke the ninth-seeded Rybakina’s serve twice to force the tiebreaker in the two-hour, 46-minute match — the longest of Mboko's young WTA career.

Mboko also battled through a wrist injury after stumbling awkwardly to the ground in the third set’s second game. She rallied to take a 2-1 lead before her medical team wrapped her wrist up in a bandage.

"But I had everyone supporting me and pushing me through," she said during her on-court interview. "Without you guys, I don’t think I would have been able to pull this through."

Mboko became the fourth Canadian woman to reach a final at the Canadian Open, and the latest since Bianca Andreescu's title run in 2019.

The phenom is also the first Canadian player to defeat three former women’s singles Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event in the Open Era.

She will move up to at least 34th in the world rankings after beginning the year outside the top 300.

That number could climb even higher after she plays four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan in Thursday's final. The unseeded Osaka defeated 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-2, 7-6 (7) in Wednesday's late semifinal.

Mboko now has a 52-9 record in all competitions this year, including 26-8 against higher-ranked players.

Rybakina, a former world No. 3 and Wimbledon champion from Kazakhstan, was responsible for one of those losses after beating Mboko 6-3, 7-5 in the D.C. Open’s second round on July 23.

This time, Mboko exacted revenge in stunning fashion.

After Mboko failed to hold serve once in a lopsided opening set, the Canadian refound her form in the second to force a decisive third.

Rybakina led 5-4 with a chance to serve for the match. She took a 40-30 advantage with two massive forehand winners to set up match point, but Mboko rallied back to stay alive after her opponent made a series of errors.

In the ensuing game, Mboko double-faulted, struck a backhand into the net and double-faulted again in succession as Rybakina broke back and took a 6-5 lead in the set.

But once again, Mboko battled, winning four consecutive points against the hard-hitting Rybakina’s serve to force the tiebreak.

Once there, Mboko jumped out to a 5-4 lead by cranking a forehand winner down the line, before Rybakina’s backhand sailed wide to set up the unlikely victory.

And out came a chorus of "Olé, Olé, Olé" chants.

Mboko won despite striking 11 double-faults — compared to one for Rybakina — and winning only 35 per cent of her points on second service.

After two injury-plagued seasons, her rapid rise started with a 22-match — and 43-set — unbeaten streak on the lower-tier ITF Tour and continued with a run through qualifying to the French Open’s third round in her first career Grand Slam. Mboko then upset No. 25 seed Magdalena Frech in the first round at Wimbledon.

Her play is hitting another level with upset after upset before a Canadian audience in Montreal, including a dominant 62-minute win in the fourth round over world No. 2 Coco Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion.

Local favourite Eugenie Bouchard — a 2014 Wimbledon finalist — headlined the tournament early after announcing she would retire following her hometown event.

But Mboko quickly stole the spotlight, taking centre court under the bright lights at prime time and attracting fans to each practice as the only Canadian — man or woman — to advance past the third round in singles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2025.