It is uncommon for an unseeded player to make a deep run in a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournament — let alone win the whole thing — making this year’s National Bank Open winner one for the history books.

In her Canadian Open debut as the 85th ranked player in the WTA, Victoria Mboko perfectly capped off her Cinderella run in the final as the underdog at the National BankOpen. She bagged her first WTA 1000 title on her home soil after downing four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, 2–1 — with sets at 2–6, 6–4, and 6–1. This feat sent her to a league in which only two others belong, as she is the third Canadian WTA player to win the National Bank Open since the Open Era began. 

Mboko opened the tennis season as an unknown tennis prospect. Despite having just turned 19 years old, she managed to surpass expectations and fellow players as she steadily climbed her way up the leaderboard. She started the year with a 22-match winning streak after two injury-riddled seasons. Her historic triumph catapulted her to the 24th spot in the WTA, ousting Leylah Fernandez to become Canada’s number one female tennis player. 

En route to her win in the finals, she took down four former Grand Slam champions. Her biggest upset came from stunning the world number two and top-seeded player at the Montreal Open, Coco Gauff, dispatching her in straight sets in the round of 16. Another highlight from her this tournament was fighting through an injured wrist, rallying back while one set down to edge out Elena Ryabinka and advancing to the final round. 

Her achievement was not only unprecedented but also hard-fought, considering the opponents she surmounted and the injuries she sustained, which is only fitting of a great player. 

Born in Charlotte, raised in Toronto

Mboko was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to an immigrant family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her parents, Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi, immigrated to the US due to political turmoil. 

The 19-year-old is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom played tennis growing up. When she was a young child, her family moved to Toronto, where two of her older siblings, Kevin and Gracia, both played collegiate-level tennis. 

The making of a star

They say that stars are born, not made. In this case, it could be considered both. As mentioned, Mboko was born to a tennis-crazed family, which had a major influence on shaping a would-be champion. 

“I just remember watching them from the sidelines and not wanting to be left out,” Mboko said in a conversation with the WTA. “I’ve never beaten any of them. I never like to lose a lot. I played my sister once in a tournament and I lost 0 and 0 [6–0, 6–0]. I was devastated. They still hold that over me to this day!”

Mboko is coached by some of the most brilliant tacticians in tennis, who once graced the courts and at some point were also world-class athletes. Mboko currently competes in the WTA tour with former Wimbledon finalist, Olympian, and world number three ranked Nathalie Tauziat as her coach. 

In 2024, Mboko also gained invaluable experience at Justine Henin’s academy in Belgium. Henin is an Olympic gold medalist whose teachings benefited Mboko on her way to winning her Billie Jean King Cup debut. 

Inspiring young Canadians

Mboko’s win promises to be influential to the future of Canadian tennis, inspiring young and aspiring players that they, too, can become like her. Denise Fernandez, coach of the Saskatchewan team in the Canada Games, cites Mboko’s victory as beneficial to young Canadian tennis players.

In an interview with CBC News in August, Fernandez spoke on Mboko’s influence on young Canadians “The fact that [Mboko’s] only 18, our juniors can relate because she’s not that much older than they are.” 

Valerie Tetreault, the director of the National Bank Open, added remarks regarding Mboko, “Everybody is inspired by [Mboko], who keeps surprising us by her composure, her maturity, her level of play as well, and the self-belief that she has. She’s showing us that anything is possible.”

What’s next?

The 19-year-old is now ranked 23rd in the WTA and intends to represent Canada at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.