Canada's Victoria Mboko advances to 3rd round of National Bank Open
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Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Eagles' Saquon Barkley 'shocked' to be mentioned by Trump, declined invite to sports council
'Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' Published Aug 05, 2025 • 2 minute read Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs the ball for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. AP Photo Saquon Barkley has declined an invitation to join President Donald Trump's council on sports, fitness, and nutrition, which is being revitalized under an executive order that also reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test for American children. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Barkley, the 2,000-yard rusher for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was on a list of sports personalities that included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Nelly Korda, WWE executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and retired New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera. Barkley said Monday following Eagles' practice that he had actually declined the invitation. 'A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,' Barkley said. 'So I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump last week reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. 'This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,' Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. The executive order also reinvigorated the national sports council that could have included Barkley. Barkley won AP Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles. Barkley has golfed with Trump and former President Barack Obama over the last year and the running back attended the White House celebration of the champion Eagles while some teammates _ notably star quarterback Jalen Hurts — skipped the ceremony. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Barkley visited Trump in April at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a ride with the president to Washington on Air Force One and then to the White House on Marine One. 'He loved it,' Trump said then of Barkley's short flight on the presidential airplane. 'He's a great young guy and an incredible football player. Saquon had a season for the ages, running behind the most powerful offensive line in the NFL.' Barkley, meanwhile, pushed back on social media criticism following the visit. He noted that he had already golfed with Obama, a Democrat. 'Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,' Barkley posted on X. Columnists Sunshine Girls Opinion Relationships Sunshine Girls
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko advances to NBO semifinals in Montreal
Victoria Mboko of Canada celebrates her win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during quarterfinal tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Two days after ousting top seed Coco Gauff in 62 minutes, there was no letdown for Victoria Mboko — even if she needed to dig a little deeper to keep her dream run alive. The Canadian teenage sensation booked her place in the National Bank Open semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Monday night. Mboko does it again! 💥 The Canadian wildcard is through to the semifinals in Montreal and the dream run continues🎾#NBO25 | @nationalbank — Omnium Banque Nationale (@OBNmontreal) August 5, 2025 The first set, despite her win, was messy and filled with errors for both players. The second got off to what Mboko called a 'slow, rocky start,' with the 18-year-old from Toronto down 2-0 and a break early. Then the momentum shifted. The rising star who rarely seems to lose finished strong, winning six straight games to close out the match. 'I was a fighter in that situation,' Mboko said. 'That moment was just pure fight-or-flight instincts. 'I really wanted to do the best I could to break her back, and I did everything in my power to stay in there and match her, match what she was producing.' Mission accomplished. She broke back in the fourth, sixth and eighth games while holding serve throughout. Bouzas Maneiro's backhand sailed long on match point, and Mboko dropped her arms and smiled in disbelief after 77 minutes on centre court at IGA Stadium. Then she ran to her handshake and blew kisses to the crowd while it celebrated with a standing ovation. 'So excited to be in a semifinal here, I want to thank everyone for your support once again,' Mboko, who trained in Montreal as a junior, told the crowd. 'It's been an unreal experience and I couldn't be more grateful.' Mboko is the first Canadian to reach the WTA 1000 event's semifinals since Bianca Andreescu's title run in 2019 — and the first to do so in Montreal in the Open Era. She's also the youngest woman to reach the semis since Belinda Bencic's 2015 win in Toronto. And there's more: Monica Seles (1995) and Simona Halep (2015) are the only other women to make the final four after entering the tournament as a wild card. It's been a breakthrough year for Mboko, who has surged from outside the top 300 to No. 85 in the world rankings. That number is projected to climb to at least No. 48 after she boosted her record to 25-8 against higher-ranked players and 51-9 in all competitions. Mboko hit three aces and won 58.2 per cent of the points while converting five of nine breakpoint chances and saving three of five. The hometown favourite also won 16 of 20 points on the 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro's second serve. Beyond the second set turnaround, she also showed resolve in the first. At 2-2, Mboko fell in a 15-40 hole, but ultimately took the prolonged game thanks to five service winners, regularly opening points with 180-kilometre-per-hour strikes. 'I don't want to say there's really a secret,' Mboko said of pulling through when her back is against the wall. 'Being calm in such stressful situations is key to delivering what you want to do in those tight moments. 'The human reaction is always to tense up and act out, but I think if I project calmness and relaxness, I'm going to also have the same thing in my head … that's what's been helping me get through those tough and tight situations.' As the last Canadian remaining in singles, Mboko has made a name for herself at home, putting her powerful ball-striking on display in her first National Bank Open main draw. She will meet Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in Wednesday's semifinals. The ninth-seeded Rybakina — who knocked Mboko out in the round-of-16 at the D.C. Open in July — advanced after Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk was forced to retire with a wrist injury while trailing 6-1, 2-1 earlier Monday night. The tournament, which runs through Thursday's final, is wide open after the top-five seeds failed to reach the quarterfinals. After two injury-plagued years, Mboko — who had shown promise as a junior — opened the season with a 22-match winning streak and captured five titles on the lower-tier ITF Tour. She then qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, reaching the third round, before stunning 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the first round at Wimbledon. And the upsets keep coming. In Montreal, Mboko has dropped just one set, rattling off wins over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, 23rd seed Sofia Kenin, 39th-ranked Marie Bouzkova and Gauff, the world No. 2. 'I was really happy to have won that day, but at the end of the day, I'm still in the tournament,' Mboko said of her milestone win over Gauff. 'It's not like I went to celebrate or anything. I was still locked in like I normally am in a tournament. You play a tournament because you want to win it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2025 Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Canadian teen Victoria Mboko advances to NBO semifinals in Montreal
Victoria Mboko of Canada waves to the crowd following her win over Coco Gauff of the United States during round of 16 tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Victoria Mboko keeps on rising. Two days after dispatching No. 1 seed Coco Gauff, the Canadian teenage sensation booked her place in the National Bank Open semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in women's singles action Monday night. Mboko upset Gauff in straight sets Saturday, winning the lopsided match in just 62 minutes. There was no letdown Monday, even if Mboko fought a little harder to pull out the victory. After taking a back-and-forth — and error-filled — first set, Mboko lost on serve in a sluggish start to the second set but broke back in the fourth and sixth games to take a 4-2 advantage. The 18-year-old from Toronto held serve and broke once more, with Bouzas Maneiro's backhand sailing long on match point to lift the fans out of their seats after 77 minutes. Mboko is the first Canadian to reach the WTA 1000 event's semifinals since Bianca Andreescu's title run in 2019. She's also the youngest woman to reach the semis since Belinda Bencic's 2015 win in Toronto. Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 51st, was also playing in the quarterfinals of a 1000-level tournament for the first time. In a breakthrough year, Mboko has surged from outside the top 300 to a career-high No. 85 in the world rankings. That number is projected to climb to at least No. 55, according to WTA live rankings. The last Canadian remaining in singles, Mboko has made a name for herself at home, her powerful ball-striking on full display in her first National Bank Open main draw. She will meet Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in Wednesday's semifinals. The ninth-seeded Rybakina advanced after Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk was forced to retire with an apparent arm injury while trailing 6-1, 2-1 earlier Monday night. After two injury-plagued years, Mboko — who had shown promise as a junior — opened the season with a 22-match win streak and captured five titles on the lower-tier ITF Tour. She then qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, reaching the third round, before stunning 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the first round at Wimbledon. And the upsets keep coming. In Montreal, Mboko has rattled off wins over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, 23rd seed Sofia Kenin, 39th-ranked Marie Bouzkova and Gauff, the world No. 2. Her latest victory boosts her record to 25-8 against higher-ranked players and 51-9 in all competitions. Buzzing in anticipation, the crowd rose to its feet for loud applause the moment Mboko emerged from the tunnel before the match. Neither player looked dialed in during the first set, as both competitors fired shots long and wide and wasted opportunities to break early. At 2-2, Mboko fell in a 40-15 hole, but ultimately took the prolonged game thanks to five service winners, regularly opening points with 180-kilometre per hour strikes. The Canadian then went up 40-0 with three chances to break before a series of errors, including a few mis-hits on her backhand, helped Bouzas Maneiro hold. Mboko retook a 40-0 advantage for three breakpoint opportunities while leading 4-3. This time, Bouzas Maneiro fired her shot into the net. Bouzas Maneiro broke back after Mboko made three unforced errors and double-faulted. Mboko, however, took the set with her second breakpoint when Bouzas Maneiro struck her forehand wide. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2025 Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
