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Victoria Mboko’s dream run continues in Montreal! Just a couple of days ago, the 18-year-old Canadian stunned everyone by defeating the top seed, Coco Gauff, by 6-1,6-4 in just 62 minutes of their R16 clash. The teenager converted four of five break points against the world number 2, and while sharing her thoughts about this epic battle, Mboko added, “It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” With that incredible win, Mboko has gained massive strides in the rankings as well, but that’s not the end!

She began the year ranked 333rd in the world and then went on to win 22 successive matches without dropping a set on her way to securing five titles on the second-tier ITF Tour. But owing to her impressive performance in the last few months, Victoria Mboko has not only become 85th in the singles ranking, but she is now also up to number 23 in the UTR Rankings. Recently, she defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the QF of the 2025 Canadian Open by 6-4,6-2. With this win, she’s all set to face the former world number 3, Elena Rybakina, in the SF.

This will be her second meeting with the Kazakhstani tennis star this season. Previously, they had faced each other in the R16 of the 2025 Citi Open, and in that match, Rybakina defeated her by 6-3,7-5. However, despite that comfortable victory in their previous match, Elena Rybakina is well aware of the threat in her upcoming battle. While sharing her experience of facing Victoria Mboko and talking about her strategy for that match in her post-match interview, Rybakina added, “Yeah, she’s a tough opponent. She has really good strokes, and she plays fast, and she has really good serve.

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She feels that in Washington, it was a bit difficult for both of them since it was a night match, and even the conditions were a bit different. But having said that, Elena Rybakina admitted, “So she’s definitely dangerous. She has nothing to lose, and I’m sure she’s enjoying it out there. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough one. Hopefully, I can bring my best.” Talking about her strategy for the upcoming battle, Rybakina said that she’d try to focus on herself and her serve, especially because she knows that improving her own game would help her increase the chances in this match.

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On one side, Elena Rybkina has now reached her 10th WTA 1000 semifinal, but on the other side, it’ll be Victoria Mboko’s first-ever WTA 1000 semifinal. One is already a proven campaigner and also a Grand Slam champion, while the other one is relatively a newbie with a lot of potential and hunger to establish her name in the women’s Tour. Victoria Mboko’s rise has now become the talk of the town in the tennis world!

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What did Victoria Mboko say after securing a spot in the SF of the 2025 Canadian Open?

Victoria Mboko has now become the first Canadian to reach the WTA 1000 event’s SF since Bianca Andreescu’s title-winning run in 2019. She’s also the youngest woman to reach the semis since Belinda Bencic’s 2015 triumph in Toronto. While sharing her thoughts after her QF win against Bouzas, Mboko said, “I’m so excited to be in the semifinal here. I want to thank everyone for your support once again. It has been unreal. I train here (in Canada), and it’s always a great opportunity to be here. My first time playing in Montreal has been an unreal experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

What’s more interesting is that 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. Victoria Mboko currently has a win-loss record of 51-9 in all competitions this season. A superstar in making!

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What’s your perspective on:

Can Victoria Mboko's fearless play topple the experienced Elena Rybakina in their Montreal showdown?

Have an interesting take?

Her incredible rise has now drawn comparisons with other superstars like Coco Gauff. At the Canadian Open, when Coco Gauff was asked if she really recognizes herself in Victoria Mboko, the American replied, “No, she’s a completely different player, completely different person. I’ve never been one to compare myself to others, whether it be like people comparing me to Serena or Venus, and I don’t think it’s fair to put that on her as well. Yeah, but I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure.”

She hailed Victoria Mboko’s athleticism and labeled her a great ball striker. All she now hopes is to face this Canadian more often in the upcoming days. Do you think this ‘Giant Slayer’ can beat Elena Rybakina in her next match, though?

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Can Victoria Mboko's fearless play topple the experienced Elena Rybakina in their Montreal showdown?

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