In a stunning upset at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko delivered a commanding performance, defeating world No. 2 Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 in just 62 minutes to secure her place in the quarterfinals. The loss marked a challenging moment for Gauff, the top seed and reigning French Open champion, who struggled to find her rhythm against the rising star. In the post-match press conference, Gauff was quick to dismiss comparisons between herself and Mboko, stating, “I don’t think it’s fair to put that on her as well. She’s a completely different player, completely different person.” Her candid response highlighted her frustration with the narrative that often shadows young tennis talents, drawing parallels to her own experiences with being likened to legends like Serena and Venus Williams.
Mboko, ranked No. 85, showcased poise beyond her years, converting four of five break points and saving all five break chances Gauff created. The Burlington, Ontario native, who began 2025 ranked outside the top 300, has surged to No. 53 in the live rankings, fueled by a remarkable season that includes five ITF titles and a 51-9 win-loss record. Her victory over Gauff, coupled with earlier wins against Grand Slam champions like Sofia Kenin, made her the third Canadian woman since 1990 to defeat multiple major winners at a single tournament, joining Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez in this elite group. “I don’t even know what to say still,” Mboko admitted, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I was kind of shocked about it all. Everything kind of came so fast.”
Gauff, 21, has been a trailblazer since her breakout at 15, when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019. Her journey as a prodigy has invited constant comparisons, a pressure she’s keen to spare Mboko. “I’ve never been one to compare myself to others, whether it be like people comparing me to Serena or Venus,” Gauff said, emphasizing the individuality of each player’s path. Despite the loss, she praised Mboko’s potential, noting, “I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure. 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’s graciousness extended to their post-match exchange, where she offered a simple, “Good playing and good luck in the next round,” while expressing hope for future battles: “I look forward to playing her again in the future.”
The match itself was a masterclass in aggression from Mboko, who capitalized on Gauff’s 24 unforced errors and six double faults. Reflecting on her strategy, Mboko said, “I was just really focused on myself and what I had to do. I didn’t really focus as much as what she was doing in the match because I just wanted to play as solid of a game as I possibly could.” Her composure was evident as she raced through the first set in 25 minutes and held firm in a tighter second set, buoyed by a raucous home crowd chanting “Ole, Ole, Ole!” “I just remember in the last game when I was up 5-4, the crowd kind of started cheering even louder,” Mboko recalled. “I kind of used that as more fuel for myself and to pump myself up a little bit more.”
Gauff’s struggles in Montreal followed a taxing tournament, where she racked up 43 double faults across three matches, including grueling three-set wins over Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova. “I haven’t played the best in this tournament, so I knew that it would be tough,” Gauff admitted. “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, that she would take advantage of those moments, and she did.” Her decision to skip the Citi Open in Washington to focus on practice may have left her short of match rhythm, a choice she now questions: “Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt.”
Mboko’s meteoric rise mirrors the early careers of Canadian stars like Andreescu, who won the 2019 Canadian Open, and Fernandez, a 2021 US Open finalist. Her performance has drawn praise from tennis luminaries, with former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard noting, “Her rise has been nothing short of incredible.” Mboko’s next challenge is a semifinal clash against Elena Rybakina, who called her “a tough opponent” after their earlier meeting at the Citi Open. As Mboko continues her dream run, Gauff shifts her focus to the Cincinnati Open and the upcoming US Open, where she hopes to rediscover the form that made her a two-time Grand Slam champion. For now, Mboko’s star is ascending, and her fearless tennis has the tennis world buzzing about what’s next.
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