Who is Victoria Mboko? What to know about teenage Canadian tennis star
Teenager Victoria Mboko pulled off a stunning run to capture her first WTA title on Thursday, Aug. 7, defeating four former Grand Slam champions after entering the bracket as a wild card at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal. She beat Naomi Osaka in a thrilling final, which featured Mboko storming back after losing the first set.
Mboko became the second-youngest player in WTA history to beat four Grand Slam champions in one event, with wins over Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina as well. Only Serena Williams accomplished the feat at a younger age during the 1999 U.S. Open.
Here's what to know about Mboko now that she's suddenly a player to watch at the U.S. Open, which is the final Grand Slam on the 2025 tennis calendar:
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How old is Victoria Mboko?
Mboko is 18 years old. She turns 19 on Aug. 26, two days after the 2025 U.S. Open begins in New York.
Victoria Mboko's parents, background
Mboko was born in Charlotte, North Carolina after her parents, Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi, moved to the United States in 1999 to get away from political turmoil and unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the WTA. The family moved to Toronto when Mboko was a small child. Mboko is the youngest of four siblings and they all played tennis growing up.
Victoria Mboko's ranking
Mboko started the 2025 season ranked No. 333 in the world and it has been an incredible rise since then. She is now ranked No. 24 in the world in women's singles after winning the Montreal Open, with a 53-9 record in 2025. She entered the tournament ranked No. 85 in the world.
Did Naomi Osaka snub Victoria Mboko?
Osaka took some criticism on social media following her National Bank Open final loss to Mboko because she didn't mention Mboko during a brief speech at the trophy ceremony. Mboko, on the other hand, thanked Osaka "for an incredible match. I've always looked up to her when I was really little, so it's always great to play with such an amazing player like you."
Osaka elected to skip her post-match news conference, but she later clarified her on-court comments in a transcript from the WTA and apologized in a social media post, referencing some awkward trophy ceremony speeches that didn't go well for her previously.
"Thanks Montreal it's been a really great run. I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria," Osaka wrote on Threads. "You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realize I didn't congratulate you on the court. Honestly I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as (Indian Wells) 2018 final or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible."
Is Victoria Mboko playing Cincinnati Open?
No. Mboko and Osaka both announced after their Montreal Open final that they would be withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open. The tournament is already underway.
Mboko previously revealed she had injured her wrist during her semifinal match in Montreal and underwent an MRI. She told reporters she was likely to skip Cincinnati as a precaution. Mboko is still expected to play at the 2025 U.S. Open, which begins on Sunday, Aug. 24.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Victoria Mboko, teenage tennis star who beat Naomi Osaka?
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