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Just hours before facing her childhood idol Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko was in a local hospital for tests after waking with a swollen wrist from a fall in her semifinal. Despite the injury, she fought through the pain to win a thrilling three-set match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, claiming her first WTA 1000 title. And now, her idol is following in her footsteps with a decision that she made just after lifting the trophy. 

Both Mboko and Osaka endured a grueling two-week stretch at the Canadian Open, competing in the heat and intensity of back-to-back high-level matches. Mboko played through injury, with a wrist brace supporting her during the final. At the same time, Osaka contested seven matches en route to the final, including an emotionally charged battle against the rising Canadian star. With the US Open looming just weeks away, managing physical condition and recovery has become a critical consideration for both players, especially given the compressed North American hardcourt calendar that overlaps the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open tournaments.

A little more than twelve hours after their epic final, The Tennis Letter confirmed via an X post that both Mboko and Osaka would be withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open, while also praising their decision to do so:

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Smart decision ahead of the U.S. Open. Time to rest & recover,” the post read, acknowledging their need to take a step back amid the grueling schedule each could have otherwise. 

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Victoria Mboko has already notched 51 match wins in 2025, including two at Grand Slam events and seven during her impressive Canadian Open title run. However, the recent change in tournament scheduling means the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open now overlap, with the final rounds in Montreal taking place after Cincinnati’s qualifying matches have begun. This extension from a one-week event to a 12-day schedule forces players like Mboko to choose between competing in consecutive tournaments or prioritizing rest and recovery. Given her wrist injury, Mboko’s decided to withdraw from Cincinnati, saying, I just want to take care of my wrist a little bit right now, and I think it’s just very close and sudden for me to go there and play again I think in, like, two days.

Whereas Osaka, who played seven matches in Montreal, the most since her 2022 Miami Open final appearance, already has history prioritizing rest before Grand Slam events. And now, her decision follows the same 2024 pattern of skipping Cincinnati’s main draw after losing in qualifying, thus showing a measured approach to her tournament load despite a demanding North American swing. As for the US Open, she seeks a wild card for the mixed doubles starting August 19, with the singles tournament commencing August 24, saying “I think I’m going to be seeded in the US Open now because I won my match”.

Their absence affects the Cincinnati draw significantly. Both were due to receive performance byes into the second round due to their progress in Montreal. Osaka was slated to meet No. 20 seed Linda Nosková, while Mboko was set to face No. 14 seed Diana Shnaider. Their withdrawal allowed four lucky losers, players eliminated in qualifying, to fill these openings and compete in first-round matches: Iva Jović vs. Solana Sierra and Cristina Bucșa vs. Yuan Yue.

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  Debate

Osaka's strategic withdrawal: Smart move or missed opportunity for more momentum before the US Open?

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