Eighteen-year-old tennis phenom Victoria Mboko has captured the global spotlight after a stunning straight-sets victory over World No. 2 Coco Gauff, marking the most significant win of her rapidly rising career.
The Canadian teenager, born to Congolese parents, entered the Canadian Open as a wild card, ranked No. 333 at the start of the year. She is now rewriting the tournament’s history books — and her own — with a dream run that has taken her to her first-ever WTA semi-final.
Mboko delivered a commanding performance in front of her home crowd in Montreal, toppling Gauff 6-1, 6-4 in the Round of 16 to reach her first tour-level quarter-final. The upset sent shockwaves through the tennis world and positioned the young Canadian as one of the sport’s most exciting new talents.
She followed up the Gauff upset with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in just 77 minutes on Monday. With that win, Mboko became the youngest woman in a decade to reach the semi-finals at the Canadian Open.
After briefly trailing 2-0 in the second set, Mboko found another gear, winning six straight games to close the match with clinical efficiency. She converted five of nine break points, showcasing a level of poise and power far beyond her years.
“She’s putting the world on notice,” said one commentator during her post-match celebration. “She didn’t just beat Gauff — she dismantled her. And now she’s playing like someone who belongs in the final four.”
Mboko is set to face ninth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. It will be a rematch of their recent encounter at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., where Rybakina won in straight sets.
But this time, Mboko has momentum — and a nation behind her.
