In a stunning display of talent and tenacity, 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko sent shockwaves through the tennis world by defeating top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 in just 62 minutes at the National Bank Open in Montreal. The fourth-round match, played on August 2, 2025, marked a career-defining moment for Mboko, who advanced to her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal. For Gauff, the world No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion, the loss highlighted a challenging phase in her season, but it also sparked a reflective moment about her role as a mentor to the next generation of tennis stars like Mboko.
Mboko, ranked No. 85, entered the tournament as a wildcard and quickly proved she belonged among the elite. Her aggressive serving and powerful groundstrokes overwhelmed Gauff, who struggled with consistency, committing 24 unforced errors and six double faults. The Canadian teen’s composure was remarkable, as she saved all four break points she faced and converted three of her five break-point opportunities. The home crowd at IGA Stadium erupted in “Olé, Olé, Olé!” chants, fueling Mboko’s momentum. “Your support was incredible,” she told the audience in French post-match. “I’m really happy to win today. It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.”
The match was a rematch of their earlier encounter at the Italian Open in May, where Mboko took the first set but fell to Gauff’s resilience in three sets. Reflecting on that experience, Mboko admitted it played on her mind during the Montreal match. “I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match,” she said. “I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit. I just remember when she came out playing even better and stepped it up. I wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing.” This time, Mboko maintained her intensity, racing through the first set in just 25 minutes and holding firm in a tighter second set to secure the upset.
Gauff, gracious in defeat, acknowledged Mboko’s superior performance. “She played a really great match, that’s basically it,” the 21-year-old American said. “I haven’t played the best in this tournament, so I knew it would be tough. I just felt like I could do better today, but I also knew that if I took my foot off the gas a little bit, she would take advantage of those moments, and she did.” Gauff’s struggles with her serve were evident, as she tallied 37 double faults across her three matches in Montreal, including a grueling 23 in her opener against Danielle Collins and 14 against Veronika Kudermetova.
Despite the loss, Gauff expressed admiration for Mboko’s potential, hinting at a mentorship role for the young Canadian. “She’s very athletic. She’s a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn’t get really too negative,” Gauff noted. “I don’t know her too well, but I’ve gotten to talk to her a little bit since Rome. I think she has a great support system around her, and that’s important when you’re young and on tour. Hopefully, we have many more battles, and I look forward to playing her again in the future.” Gauff’s comments reflect her awareness of the parallels between her own meteoric rise as a teenager and Mboko’s current trajectory.
Mboko’s breakthrough in Montreal caps a remarkable 2025 season. Starting the year ranked No. 333, she climbed to No. 85 by winning five ITF titles and posting a 42-8 record against higher-ranked opponents. Her run at the Canadian Open included victories over Kimberly Birrell, former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin, and Marie Bouzkova, dropping just one set. The win over Gauff propelled her to No. 53 in the live rankings, with a potential rise to No. 24 if she advances further. Former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard praised Mboko’s maturity, noting, “She looked much more mature than her 18 years of age. You see her on the court, and she’s handling it like she’s done it a hundred times.”
Mboko’s next challenge is a quarterfinal clash against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who defeated China’s Zhu Lin in a rain-interrupted match. As Mboko continues her dream run, Gauff is left to regroup ahead of the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, where she hopes to rediscover her rhythm. “Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt,” Gauff reflected, acknowledging her decision to skip the Citi Open may have impacted her form.
For Mboko, the victory was not just a personal triumph but a moment of connection with her home crowd. “When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy,” she said. “I used that as more fuel for myself and to pump myself up a little bit more.” As she continues to rise, Mboko may find in Gauff not only a formidable rival but also a guiding figure in navigating the pressures of professional tennis.
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