18-year old ranked 85th beats four Grand Slam champions in a week to make history

Canada’s Victoria Mboko was crowned champion of the Canadian Open on Thursday after producing a dream run at just 18 years old, defeating Japan’s Naomi Osaka 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

Mboko stuns Naomi Osaka in Canada final

On her way to the title, Mboko – almost unknown before arriving in Montreal – beat four Grand Slam winners: Sofia Kenin in the second round, Coco Gauff in the round of 16, Elena Rybakina in the semifinals and Osaka in the decider.

Ranked No 85 in the world before the tournament, Mboko will leap 60 places into the top 25. She needed just over two hours to overcome Osaka, who is currently ranked No 49. Osaka will also leave Canada inside the top 25 – her best position since 2022. The Japanese star, whose last title came at the 2021 Australian Open, was playing her second final of the year after Auckland.

How much prize money did Mboko win in Montreal?

“I want to thank Naomi for an amazing match. I’ve always admired you since I was a little girl, so it’s such an honor to play against such an incredible player as you,” the homegrown champion said with grace.

Along with the 1,000 ranking points that catapult her into the WTA elite, Mboko pockets $752,275 in prize money for her triumph in Canada.

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