Just days ago, in front of a roaring home crowd, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko stunned the tennis world by dismantling World No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion 6-1, 6-4 to storm into the Montreal quarterfinals. The American star rallied in the second set, but Mboko held her nerve, saving four break points in the seventh game and snatching the crucial break in the 10th. But make no mistake, this wasn’t luck. Now, with her semifinal ticket secured, the fearless Canadian prodigy has done the unthinkable, joining Serena Williams in a rare feat that sends shockwaves through the Canadian Masters and beyond.

The dream run on home soil shows no signs of slowing down for Victoria Mboko. The 18-year-old Canadian sensation, who’s been the story of the tournament, added another stunning chapter by dispatching Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2. She roared back from 0-2 down in the second set to win the final six games, booking her first-ever WTA 1000 semifinal, and inching closer to a maiden WTA final appearance. 

With all top five seeds and seven of the top 10 out before the quarterfinals, the stage was set for a breakthrough, and Mboko seized the moment with ice in her veins. But perhaps even more monumental is the rare air she now breathes. With her semifinal ticket in hand, Mboko has joined none other than Serena Williams in a historic feat.

As revealed by Opta Ace on X, “Victoria Mboko (18 years 336 days) is the fourth-youngest semi-finalist at the Canadian Open since 2000.” For context, Serena was 18 years and 332 days old when she reached the same stage. And history remembers how Williams went on to claim the Canadian Open crown three times, in 2001, 2011, and 2013, compiling a near-flawless 28-3 record in Toronto.

Victoria Mboko’s next test? A clash with 2022 Wimbledon champion and World No. 12 Elena Rybakina, who advanced after Marta Kostyuk retired with a wrist injury. Rybakina had already taken the first set 6-1 and was up 2-1 in the second. Now, it’s a generational showdown, Mboko’s fire meets Rybakina’s steel.

And as she reflected on her path so far, Mboko played with a clear vision going into today’s match. With the Canadian crowd behind her and the spotlight only growing brighter, Victoria Mboko isn’t done dreaming; she’s just getting started.

Victoria Mboko shared her appreciation for the Canadian crowd

Victoria Mboko weathered a chaotic, error-strewn first set before slipping behind early in the second, losing her serve in a sluggish start. But true to her fearless form, the 18-year-old roared back with breaks in the fourth and sixth games to seize a 4-2 lead. 

From there, the Toronto native held her nerve, and her serve, before sealing the deal with a final break, as Jessica Bouzas Maneiro’s backhand floated long on match point. The home crowd erupted, rising as one after 77 electrifying minutes. Mboko’s latest victory improves her already impressive record to 25-8 against higher-ranked opponents and 51-9 overall, a run that includes her significant win against Coco Gauff in Montreal.

In doing so, she rewrites history. Not since Bianca Andreescu’s unforgettable 2019 title run has a Canadian woman reached this stage at the Canadian Open. Mboko is now the youngest Canadian in the Open Era to reach the semifinals here, and the youngest woman overall since Belinda Bencic in 2015. With former Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat in her corner, she joins a legendary list of Canadians, Helen Kelesi, Eugenie Bouchard, and Andreescu, who’ve stormed into the semifinals at a Tier 1 or WTA 1000 event.

And the crowd knew this moment mattered. They roared the moment she walked out from the tunnel, buzzing with belief. After the win, Mboko soaked in the energy, proud and composed. “I think just to play in Canada, to play in front of the Canadian crowd, you know, I train here, so it’s always a great opportunity to be here and my first time playing in Montreal. It’s been an unreal experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Now comes the real test. She’ll face World No. 12 Elena Rybakina, a rematch of their clash just last week in Washington, where the Kazakh prevailed 6-3, 7-5.

But this is Montreal. This is Mboko’s turf. And she’s writing a new chapter with every swing.