Over a decade ago, Canada witnessed a prodigy like no other when Eugenie Bouchard made her presence felt on the biggest stages. Her 2014 season was one to remember. Two slam semifinal campaigns and one epic finale to cherish at Wimbledon. The then 20-year-old was playing so well that WTA legend and 18-time slam queen Martina Navratilova touted her as “one of only a handful of players who had the potential to make it to No. 1.” On the other hand, another icon, Chris Evert, called herself a “Genie believer”. A decade later, it seems Canada has now found the ‘next Genie’ in Victoria Mboko. Bouchard, however, is not surprised.

This week’s Canadian Open has been an unforgettable experience for Mboko. After managing to reach the third round in her maiden French Open run, Mboko has accomplished yet another feat, and that too, on home ground, at the ongoing event in Montreal. On Saturday night, she bested No.1 seed and this season’s Roland Garros queen Coco Gauff to advance into her maiden quarterfinal of a WTA 1000 tournament. With a score line of 6-1, 6-4, she defeated the 21-year-old American in just an hour and two minutes.

However, before this battle even kicked off, Bouchard had already issued a bold verdict on Mboko’s potential. Ahead of her awaited battle against Gauff, the ex-WTA pro admired the 18-year-old’s recent surge. Especially on the ranking list, thanks to consistent performances. For the uninitiated, she was outside of the top 300 at the end of 2024. But in a span of 8 months, the tides have turned. She has established herself comfortably within the top 100, at the 85th position.

Bouchard laid bare her opinion: “Her rise has been nothing short of incredible. But anyone who knew her in Canadian tennis would not be surprised. She has so much power to her game.” Explaining why she always knew Mboko was going to make it big, the former World No.5 added, “I remember practicing with her when she 14, 15-years-old and she was smacking forehands, throwing me off the court. So we all knew she would be really good. So happy to see it happening at such a big event like this as well.”

Further, she hailed Mboko’s way of handling pressure despite playing in front of a home crowd. “She seems to be handling the moment really well. Sometimes playing at home can cause a little bit of pressure, a little bit of stress.” Take Jasmine Paolini for example, at the Italian Open. Despite an impressive deep run in the tournament, Paolini crumbled under pressure in the semi-final, though she had the Italians going gaga over her accomplishments.

Bouchard concluded by saying that the teenager “is just taking it all in stride and using it as motivation.” It becomes evident from Mboko’s own honest admission after making history at the Canadian Open. She had a special message for home fans after besting Gauff at the Centre Court in Montreal.

Victoria Mboko oozes confidence post win over Coco Gauff at Montreal

This latest matchup marked the second meeting between Coco Gauff and Victoria Mboko. Earlier this season, they had their maiden face-off at the Italian Open. Although the American won that encounter, it wasn’t exactly smooth-sailing. The Canadian took the first set and put Gauff under pressure. Later through a decider, the latter was able to overcome Mboko’s challenge.

But this time in Montreal, the story was different. Mboko’s victory was air-tight. In sixty-two minutes, she was through to the quarterfinal stage at the Canadian Open. After toppling the two-time slam champion, she was overwhelmed with emotion, “Oh my god. I really don’t know what to say.”

Mboko added, “I mean, before the match, I was quite a bit nervous ‘cause I actually played her before in Rome, and I just know how great of a player she is.” She also couldn’t thank her fans enough, who had been rallying behind her this entire week. And she has not let their faith in her slip thus far. “The crowd—it’s been amazing. I never had so many people cheer for me too, so that’s a bonus of playing at home, you know.”

The world No.85 will now enter the quarterfinal phase on Tuesday. This win over Gauff propels her to No.53 in live rankings. Her opponent is yet to be confirmed as of this writing. One more win, and Mboko could break into the top 25. Mboko has become the youngest player to reach the R8 at the Canadian Open since 2022. Back then, it was Gauff herself who achieved the feat. Do you think the local talent will eventually win her first-ever WTA 1000 trophy in Montreal? Let us know in the comments below.