In a breathtaking upset at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko delivered a commanding 6-1, 6-4 victory over world No. 2 Coco Gauff, securing her place in the quarterfinals in just 62 minutes. The defeat, a rare stumble for the top-seeded Gauff, marked Mboko as the youngest Canadian to reach this stage since Helen Kelesi in 1987 and only the second wildcard in the Open Era to topple the top seed at the tournament. In the post-match press conference, Gauff firmly dismissed comparisons between herself and the rising star, emphasizing their distinct paths. “No, she’s a completely different player, completely different person,” Gauff said. “I’ve never been one to compare myself to others, whether it be like people comparing me to Serena or Venus, and I don’t think it’s fair to put that on her as well.” Her words underscored a desire to let Mboko carve her own legacy, while acknowledging the teenager’s bright future.
Gauff, the 2025 French Open champion, entered Montreal with high expectations but faced challenges throughout the tournament. Her season has been a rollercoaster since her Roland Garros triumph, with early exits in Berlin and a shocking first-round loss to Dayana Yastremska at Wimbledon. In Montreal, she battled through three-set matches against Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova, racking up an alarming 37 double faults across those encounters. Against Mboko, her struggles persisted, with 24 unforced errors and a 43% first-serve percentage hampering her performance. “I knew in Rome when I played her, it would be a tough match, and it was,” Gauff reflected, recalling their earlier clash at the Italian Open, where she rallied from a set down to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. “I knew today it would be hard, and she’s playing high-level tennis. I think that’s what showed today. I think she was the better player today.”
Mboko, ranked No. 85, seized the moment in front of a raucous home crowd at IGA Stadium, where fans erupted into “Olé, Olé, Olé!” chants. Her composure was remarkable, converting four of five break-point opportunities and saving all four break points against her serve. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French, her voice filled with gratitude. “I’m really happy to win today. It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Reflecting on her mindset, she added, “I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match. 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 a bit better. I wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing.”
Gauff, gracious in defeat, praised Mboko’s attributes, noting her potential to become a formidable force on the WTA Tour. “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 said. “I think she has a great support system around her, and I think 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.” Mboko’s meteoric rise—from outside the top 300 to a projected No. 53 in the live WTA rankings—has been fueled by a 46-9 win-loss record in 2025, including five ITF titles. Her Montreal run, which included wins over Sofia Kenin and Marie Bouzková, marks her as the first Canadian woman since Leylah Fernandez in 2021 to defeat multiple Grand Slam champions at the same event.
The electric atmosphere in Montreal, amplified by the presence of celebrities like UFC icon Georges St-Pierre, played a pivotal role in Mboko’s performance. “I just used the crowd to my advantage as much as I could,” she said. “I just remember in the last game when I was up 5-4, the crowd kind of started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy. I kind of used that as more fuel for myself.” Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard, recently retired, lauded Mboko’s maturity: “I’m very impressed with how cool, calm and collected she was on the court. She looked much more mature than her 18 years of age.”
For Gauff, the loss opens a window for Iga Swiatek to challenge for the No. 2 ranking in Cincinnati, where Gauff hopes to regain her rhythm. “I felt like in practice I was playing well the last few weeks,” she said. “I decided to take some time off and not play DC to actually focus on that, and maybe that wasn’t the right decision.” As Mboko prepares to face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the quarterfinals, her breakthrough signals the arrival of a new Canadian star, while Gauff’s reflective response highlights her class and determination to bounce back on home soil at the US Open.
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