Victoria Mboko Won The WTA Tour And Our Hearts

TENNIS: AUG 07 National Bank Open — Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty

At just 18 years old, Victoria Mboko didn’t just win her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour title, on Friday, she claimed a place in tennis history and the hearts of fans worldwide. The Canadian wildcard slayed four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a thrilling comeback at the National Bank Open in Montreal.

Mboko’s journey through the tournament was nothing short of remarkable. Entering the event ranked No. 85, after starting the year outside the top 300, she surprised fans by conquering four Grand Slam champions this week, positioning the Charlotte, North Carolina native with iconic athlete Serena Williams, who in 1999 defeated four major winners in a single competition as just a teenager.

Victoria Mboko Delivers A Win and A Heartfelt Thank You

But it wasn’t just the scoreline that made the Mboko’s win unforgettable. It was what happened after.

Beaming with a voice full of gratitude, Mboko paid homage to Osaka, a player she admitted to watching while growing up, and thanked her for paving the way. The stunning athlete called Osaka an inspiration, acknowledging her greatness. “I wanna thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little,” she revealed. “It’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you.”

Mboko’s humility is as striking as her game. Even after a historic run that catapulted her into the top 25 rankings, she spoke more about gratitude than glory. “It just proves that your dreams are closer than they seem,” she told the crowd.

For many fans, especially Black women and girls, Mboko’s win carries more than athletic significance. Tennis has long been a sport where Black excellence has been hard-fought and trailblazed by only a few. Seeing another dark brown, Black girl dominate with power, grace, and humility sends a powerful message that we belong.

Mboko didn’t just win a title, she won hearts, rewrote narratives, and showed the world that power and softness, dominance and humility, can live in the same champion.

About Victoria Mboko

Here’s a few things you didn’t know about the skilled beauty.

Victoria Mboko Is From Canada

Mboko was born in North Carolina to parents who emigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The tennis star moved to Toronto as a baby.

Victoria Mboko Breaks Record

At 18, Mboko has broken into the WTA Top 25, reaching a career-high singles ranking of World No. 24, becoming Canada’s top-ranked singles player. She clinched her first WTA Tour title at the 2025 Canadian Open by defeating former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the final. En route, she also beat Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Sofia Kenin, making her the second-youngest player ever to defeat four major champions in a single tournament.

Victoria Mboko Is The Youngest Of 4 Siblings

Mboko is the youngest of four tennis-playing siblings and started hitting the courts at a young age. She honed her skills at Tennis Canada’s National Training Centre in Montreal, the same program that developed stars like Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

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