The 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal delivered a cinematic moment for Canadian tennis, as 18-year-old wildcard Victoria Mboko stunned the tennis world by defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a gripping final, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Yet, the spotlight shifted from Mboko’s historic victory to Osaka’s brief and controversial post-match speech, which sparked a firestorm of criticism from fans, former players, and analysts alike. The incident, coupled with Osaka’s emotional withdrawal from the subsequent Cincinnati Open, has ignited a debate about sportsmanship, mental health, and the pressures of professional tennis.
The final at IGA Stadium was a clash of generations. Mboko, a Burlington, Ontario native ranked No. 85 entering the tournament, had already turned heads by toppling Grand Slam winners Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, and Elena Rybakina en route to her maiden WTA 1000 final. Facing Osaka, her childhood idol, Mboko dropped the first set 6-2 but rallied with poise, capitalizing on Osaka’s 22 unforced errors to claim the next two sets in a two-hour, four-minute battle. The victory made Mboko the youngest Canadian woman to win the Canadian Open in the Open Era and only the third Canadian overall, joining Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Faye Urban (1969). Her ranking soared to No. 24, securing her a seeded spot at the upcoming US Open.
As the trophy ceremony unfolded, the mood shifted. Osaka, visibly emotional after the loss, delivered a 16-second speech that omitted any mention of Mboko or her remarkable achievement. “Thanks, I guess. I don’t really want to take up too much time,” Osaka said, her voice heavy with emotion. “I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, and volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.” The brevity and absence of congratulations for Mboko, who had just achieved a career-defining win, drew immediate backlash. Former ATP star Sam Querrey, speaking on the *Nothing Major* podcast, didn’t mince words: “Can Osaka not just act like an adult for five minutes? Just give a nice speech, fake it for a minute and then move on to the locker room. It drives me nuts.” Querrey, acknowledging Osaka’s $30 million in earnings, added, “Give a decent speech, congratulate your opponent.” His co-host Steve Johnson echoed the sentiment, urging Osaka to “at least give an honest answer and thank your opponent. Do these things and move on.”
Mboko, in contrast, displayed grace beyond her years. In her victory speech, she directly addressed Osaka: “I also want to thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little … it’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you.” Her words resonated with the roaring Montreal crowd, whose energy had visibly unsettled Osaka during the match. The partisan fans, chanting “Allez Vicky,” even disrupted the men’s final in Toronto, prompting a brief pause as Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov looked on in confusion.
Social media erupted with criticism, with fans labeling Osaka’s behavior as “shameful” and “disgusting, sore loser behaviour.” One user fumed, “It’s absolutely shameful that Naomi Osaka knows that Victoria Mboko idolizes and looks up to her, and she couldn’t even congratulate her or even mention her name.” Another recalled Osaka’s own experience at the 2018 US Open, where she faced boos after defeating Serena Williams, writing, “Of all people, Naomi Osaka should know how to be gracious to a younger opponent.” Rennae Stubbs, former coach to Serena Williams, called the moment “sad,” noting that Osaka’s own history of navigating high-pressure matches made the oversight particularly disappointing.
Osaka, who skipped the post-match press conference to meet with the WTA’s mental health team, later addressed the controversy on Instagram Threads. “I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead,” she wrote. “Honestly, I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible.” Referencing her famously awkward 2018 Indian Wells speech and a mix-up at the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka explained that her emotions had “flipped” rapidly, but she remained proud of reaching the final. “I think Victoria played really well,” she added in a transcript provided by the WTA. “I completely forgot to congratulate her on the court … she did really amazing.”
Mboko, unfazed by the snub, maintained her admiration. “I didn’t really get a chance to speak with her after the game,” she said in her press conference. “I was kind of really caught up in everything that was happening after the match. 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.” Her response underscored her maturity, earning her further praise as a “class act.”
The controversy highlights the intense scrutiny athletes face in moments of vulnerability. Osaka, who has openly discussed her mental health struggles, appeared rattled by the raucous crowd and her inability to sustain her early lead. Her run to the final, which included wins over Jelena Ostapenko and Elina Svitolina, marked a resurgence after an inconsistent season following her maternity break. Yet, the incident has fueled discussions about the expectations placed on players to perform both on and off the court. As both Osaka and Mboko prepare for the US Open, the tennis world watches a rising star in Mboko and a veteran in Osaka navigating the complexities of competition and public perception.
Leave a Reply