Coco Gauff breezes, Emma Navarro falls in Cincinnati Open
Second-seeded Coco Gauff needed just 70 minutes to deliver a 6-3, 6-2 victory over China's Xinyu Wang in second-round play Sunday at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
Playing for the first time since winning the National Bank Open doubles title with McCartney Kessler in Montreal, Gauff shrugged off eight double faults by rebuffing all five of Wang's break points.
Emma Navarro was not as fortunate in her first match. Germany's Ella Seidel knocked out the eighth-seeded American 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 as Seidel broke Navarro three times in the third set.
Russia's Veronika Kudermetova pulled off the other upset in afternoon action as she defeated No. 17 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-4, 7-6 (0). Kudermetova collected six aces to Bencic's one. Bencic committed five double faults to Kudermetova's one.
No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy earned a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) win over Greece's Maria Sakkari in a match that nearly took a crazy turn at the end. Paolini built a 6-0 lead in the second-set tiebreaker, but Sakkari saved five consecutive match points before double-faulting for an anticlimactic finish.
'I feel sorry for her, but, yes, after she missed the first serve, I was like, 'Please make the double fault,' Paolini told Tennis Channel with a laugh. 'I have to be honest. Because it was a really tough tiebreak... and I was praying.'
No. 16 Clara Tauson of Denmark built on the momentum from her semifinal run at Montreal with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 win over Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic. No. 23 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia claimed a walkover against Columbia's Camila Osorio due to an abdominal injury.
No. 26 Ashlyn Krueger, No. 31 Magda Linette of Poland and No. 32 Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine advanced to the third round with victories, while No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland learned a day early that she's headed to the fourth round.
Swiatek was slated to face No. 25 Marta Kostyuk on Monday, but the Ukrainian withdrew Sunday due to a right wrist injury.
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CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
Teenaged Canadian's major victory raises tennis profile in Edmonton
The sport of tennis has gotten a boost locally thanks to a professional win on a big stage by a teenaged Canadian. Victoria Mboko won the National Bank Open women's tennis final last week for her first Women's Tennis Association title. The 18-year-old, who was born in North Carolina and hails from Burlington, Ont., beat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Thursday to win the final match on home soil in Montreal. As a result, Mboko rose 61 places in the world women's rankings to No. 24. Yosabeth Agonafer of the Alberta-based group Black Girls in Tennis says Mboko's victory on Canadian soil paves the way for more representation of Black Canadian women in tennis. 'It wasn't just about her winning. It was also inspiring for a lot of young women, especially women of colour,' Agonafer said last week. 'Watching a young Canadian win the title on Canadian soil, I think it's pretty amazing … It's so powerful because it does pave the way for bigger things.' Mboko Victoria Mboko of Canada lifts the trophy following her win over Naomi Osaka of Japan during finals tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) At a youth tennis camp in south Edmonton, program coordinator Shaylea Mohr said Monday that Mboko's victory inspires children to take up the sport and encourage them to stick with it. 'We're trying to keep it lifelong,' Mohr told CTV News Edmonton. 'We want kids either from an early age or a young age ... and we can foster them all the way to 17 with youth programs, and then even through adult(hood).' Nolan Sax, a coach at the week-long youth camp being held at the Garneau Tennis Club, said youth who have a young tennis star to look up to can leave a great impression on them. 'I remember being a kid and watching Milos Raonic and other Canadians, and watching them play was so inspirational,' Sax told CTV News Edmonton. 'It made me want to work harder. It felt great to feel like you're a part of something, part of Canadian history, and you want to be that next step.' 'It made me want to work harder. It felt great to feel like you're a part of something, part of Canadian history, and you want to be that next step.' — Nolan Sax, tennis coach Elio Cajo, 12, said he was 'Excited and happy' about Mboko's win. 'The more you see games, the more you get excited to do the sport,' said Cajo, a participant in the camp. Agonafer said many girls of colour look up to athletes like Serena and Venus Williams and Coco Gauff, and it's inspiring to see a Black Canadian player succeed on a big stage. 'It's not (just about) her winning. It is visibility, it's the validation, it's opening doors for young women, for women of colour,' she said. 'I think it just opens the stage globally and shows that it is possible (to win), that excellence has no limits.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach and The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
27 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ratings for Victoria Mboko's win help restore some lustre to Sportsnet's coverage
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CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘It pays off': Canada's Victoria Mboko reflects on NBO victory, preparing for U.S. Open
National Bank Open champion Victoria Mboko sat down with CTV National News correspondent Adrian Ghobrial to discuss her recent win, detailing what it meant to her to have played and beaten players she watched when she was younger. The 19-year-old champion also discussed her family's past and how it affects her game today. This interview has been edited for clarity. Ghobrial: So National Bank Canadian champion. How does that sound? Mboko: When you say it like that, I mean, it feels kind of crazy. It's been an incredible two weeks in Montreal. To even capture the title and to be reflecting back at it, it's honestly crazy. I couldn't have ever imagined that I'd be named the champion. So I'm really happy. Ghobrial: You've had a few nights of sleep, a little bit of sleep at home in Burlington. Where are you today on the emotional scale? Mboko: I'd say it's hitting me a little bit harder now than it was right after the match. I'd say I was really tired, because I'd been playing night matches every day. I haven't really been getting a lot of sleep, but it's been incredible, and now it's kind of settling. Ghobrial: As you reflect on the moment of this historic win, looking back just a few days ago, you collapsed on centre court, on your knees following that win, what was that moment like for you? Mboko: Oh man, I would have never really thought I'd be in that kind of situation. But regarding what I went through the whole tournament, and regarding the past two weeks ... in that same moment, I just remember playing it in my head, and it was amazing. There were so many people in the stands. I don't think there was one empty seat. It's really hard to say, but it was just incredible. Victoria Mboko of Canada, left, is congratulated on her win by Naomi Osaka of Japan during finals tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Victoria Mboko of Canada, left, is congratulated on her win by Naomi Osaka of Japan during finals tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Ghobrial: You talked a little bit post-match about a young Vicky never being able to imagine the day. When you reflect back and you see what you've accomplished in such a short amount of time, what does that mean to you? Mboko: Well, I mean, if I would have told my younger self that I would have done something like that, I would have never thought of it, you know? I used to go to this tournament growing up, used to watch so many great players playing as well. To even be playing some of the players I used to watch growing up, it's a really surreal experience. It kind of brings more hope and more promise that you can do anything that you believe, that you set yourself to. I think moving forward, I have that same mentality. Ghobrial: On the day of the match, of the finals, not your regular day, take us through that day a little bit. Mboko: So to backtrack a little bit, I played the semifinals, and I unfortunately had a not-so-great fall right on my wrist, and it was quite painful in the moment. I called for the physio timeout to check it, and thankfully, I finished a match on a good note, but I was in quite a bit of pain, and I went to sleep that same day. I was thinking it wasn't going to be too bad. But I woke up the morning of the finals with a really swollen wrist, and it was really puffy, really painful. It hurt to even brush my teeth, brush my hair, doing normal acts, normal things around the hotel room was very difficult. I was honestly contemplating if I could even play the final. We actually rushed to the hospital and we did an MRI and X-ray. We wanted to make sure nothing was really too serious in the wrist, that nothing was broken, nothing was torn. When we got the green light to go, I kind of wanted to see the physio. They did the best they could, to make sure I was ready for the match to practice. I was on some antiinflammatoires and taped my wrist pretty tight, and I went on court. Ghobrial: How did you mentally battle through the match with your wrist? Hours earlier, you could barely brush your teeth. Now you're at centre court in the finals of your country's major tennis championship. Mboko: Just like how you describe it, I was nervous for that, because it's the final and so many people are watching. A full, packed stadium and playing against Naomi Osaka, it's obviously a very nerve-wracking experience. When I went on the court, all the pain I was feeling disappeared. Of course, in the beginning of the match when I started to play against her, it was really difficult to play with the wrist, and I was thinking about it a lot. But as I got in the match, I kind of eased into it. I completely forgot about it at some point, and I just wanted to rely on my legs and everything else that could get me to where I needed to to be to pull out the win. La Canadienne Victoria Mboko célèbre sa victoire contre la Japonaise Naomi Osaka après la finale de l'Omnium Banque Nationale de Montréal, le jeudi 7 août 2025. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Christopher Katsarov La Canadienne Victoria Mboko célèbre sa victoire contre la Japonaise Naomi Osaka après la finale de l'Omnium Banque Nationale de Montréal, le jeudi 7 août 2025. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Christopher Katsarov Ghobrial: Sounds like you have plenty of resilience. We look back at your story, at your family's story, and it is one of sacrifice, one of resilience. Can you share a little bit about your family's journey? Mboko: My parents came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, way before I was born. They made so many sacrifices to come to a new country, learning new languages and adapting to the culture here They helped rebuild a new life for me and my siblings, giving us the opportunity to play tennis was one of the greatest opportunities we could have had, and I'm super grateful for it. They worked overtime so we can have the opportunity to have more lessons and play in the group practices and play with good people. There was just so many sacrifices along the way that played a big role into who I am today. I think growing up, I always was aware of it, and I think I made more of an effort to try to better myself, to make it worth it. At the end of the day, it pays off. Ghobrial: Your parents, your family flees war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You're born in the U.S. in 2006, and shortly thereafter, you move to Canada. Do you believe the resilience, the perseverance of your parents, of your family, has transferred into your game on the court? Mboko: I think it definitely does. Maybe I haven't really experienced what they've experienced along the way, but, knowing the kind of sacrifice that they make ... even where we grew up, it's always been very present, in how they taught us to to earn everything and to work hard. So I think that contributed a lot in my tennis, because I was always very focused in what I needed to do, and I was very passionate about the sport. Their story and how they went about things really translated into me as an athlete and me as a person. Ghobrial: What does this championship mean for your family? Mboko: Well, this championship means a lot. I remember, even when I was a kid, we used to go all the time to watch in Toronto. I just have so many great memories of this tournament, and I would have never thought I was gonna win. Victoria Mboko Victoria Mboko Ghobrial: You looked up to Naomi as a young girl, you also looked up to Bianca Andreescu. There's now young tennis players looking up to you. Mboko: That's crazy to think about, because I feel like not too long ago, I was still the one that looked up to to so many girls, I still do. If I'm able to inspire young girls in the sport, especially in Canada, just to inspire them and and just to let them know that you can do it too. Ghobrial: You're 18 years old, you just won your country's top tennis tournament. How does Victoria Mboko stay grounded while continuing to rise? Mboko: I think it's really important to have a great support system around you. I surround myself with family and friends who are very close to me, especially people who've watched me grow up since I was really little. I feel I'm very close with all my siblings and my parents, so just being with them and having that sort of familiarity with them, when I go to tournaments. Tournaments can be very hostile. Sometimes it's a very stressful environment. But having people who know who you are, I think it's very important at tournaments, and even in life as I advance my career. Ghobrial: A bit of a rhetorical question, I think I might know the answer this one. But what's next? What are the goals that you have set in front of you? Mboko: Currently I'm preparing for the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. It's my first time playing U.S. Open, as well. So I'm really excited that I'm going to be even seated. That's crazy to think about. The U.S. Open was always a tournament that I really looked up to when I was really young. It was my favourite Grand Slam. I don't really like to set so many goals for myself, because I feel like anything can happen, whether it's in your favour or not in your favor. That's just the beauty of sports. But my goal is just to to enjoy the process and to have as much fun as I can while doing it. Tennis takes up most of my life anyway, so why not enjoy myself while doing it?
