Victoria Mboko's Wildcard Dream Turns Into a National Sensation
Let me tell you what’s happening right now with Canadian tennis — because it’s pretty exciting. An 18-year-old from Toronto, Victoria Mboko, is taking the spotlight at the National Bank Open in Montreal, and it’s nothing short of a fairytale. She came in as a wildcard — basically someone invited into the tournament without having to qualify — and she’s completely flipped the script.
At the start of 2025, hardly anyone outside the tennis community knew her name. She wasn’t even ranked in the top 300. Fast forward to now, she’s not only beaten some of the top players in the world — she’s made it all the way to the semifinals. That includes wins over Sofia Kenin, a Grand Slam champ, and Coco Gauff, who’s currently World No. 2. And after that major upset against Gauff? She didn’t slow down — she came right back and won her quarterfinal match in straight sets.
Now, she’s the last Canadian left in the tournament. That’s huge. She’s the youngest Canadian ever to reach the semifinals at this event in the Open Era, and the youngest player overall to do it since Belinda Bencic in 2015. And keep in mind, this is her first main-draw appearance at the National Bank Open. She’s doing night matches, stadiums are packed, fans are waiting outside her practices — it’s a whole new world for her, and she’s handling it like a pro.
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Off the court, her story is just as inspiring. Her parents came to Canada after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was born in North Carolina but raised in Toronto. She’s been part of Tennis Canada’s development programs for years, even trained at the Justine Henin Academy in Belgium. But it’s only now, with the right team around her — including coach Nathalie Tauziat, who’s worked with other top Canadian players — that she’s fully stepping into the spotlight.
Earlier this year, she started with a 22-match win streak and four ITF titles. She even had trouble fitting all her trophies on the plane. That momentum led to her first WTA 1000 win in Miami, and she hasn’t looked back. In Montreal, she’s already earned her biggest prize money to date and moved into the top 50. A win in the semifinal could push her into the top 35 — and if she somehow goes all the way? We’re talking top 25.
Next up, she’s facing Elena Rybakina, a Wimbledon champ and former World No. 3. They’ve played recently — Mboko lost in straight sets — but she’s not intimidated. She says she just wants to push her level and stay in the match.
At this point, Victoria Mboko isn’t just riding a wave — she is the wave. And whether she wins or not, she’s already made her mark.
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