Victoria Mboko Shines After Stunning Win Over Fernandez in Hong Kong
It’s been a big day for Canadian tennis, as 19-year-old Victoria Mboko reached the final of the Hong Kong Open after a thrilling three-set victory over fellow Canadian star Leylah Fernandez. In what turned out to be their first-ever professional meeting, Mboko came from behind to win 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, securing her spot in Sunday’s championship match.
The opening set was rough for Mboko. Fernandez, the more experienced of the two, took control early — winning eight of the first nine games and dictating the pace with her trademark aggression. Mboko, meanwhile, struggled to find her rhythm, hitting 14 unforced errors and just five winners in that set. It seemed as if Fernandez had the upper hand and might close out the match swiftly.
But everything changed in the second set. At 2–1, Fernandez called for a medical timeout and had strapping applied to her right thigh. From that moment, the momentum began to shift. Mboko, showing impressive composure for her age, tightened up her serve and elevated her play. She made 34 of 40 first serves, didn’t drop her serve again, and began striking with growing confidence.
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After the match, Mboko admitted that the beginning hadn’t gone her way. “I didn’t really have the best start,” she said. “Leylah was playing really great, aggressive tennis, which made it hard for me to find my rhythm. I just wanted to stay in there as much as I could and find a way. Slowly, I started believing more in my game and was able to go for my shots.”
That self-belief carried her through the deciding set, where she dominated Fernandez with cleaner hitting and smart shot selection. This win marks Mboko’s second WTA final appearance of the season and another strong statement in her remarkable rise up the tennis rankings. She started the year ranked No. 333 in the world — and is now expected to break into the top 10 next week.
Her next opponent in the final is Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, who reached the final after a straight-sets win over Australia’s Maya Joint. Interestingly, Mboko has already beaten Bucsa once this year in Rome, which gives her an extra boost of confidence heading into Sunday’s showdown.
This victory also signals Mboko’s return to form after a wrist injury temporarily derailed her momentum earlier in the season. She’d gone through a rough patch following her maiden WTA title win at the National Bank Open in Montreal, losing four straight matches. But now, with two strong tournaments back-to-back — including a quarterfinal run in Tokyo — she looks rejuvenated and ready to make an even bigger mark on the WTA circuit.
If her performance in Hong Kong is any indication, Victoria Mboko’s rise in the tennis world is only just beginning.
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