MONTREAL — In a stunning upset, 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko defeated top-seed Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night, securing her place in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open. Mboko’s victory was met with raucous support from the crowd, prompting her to express her gratitude in French, celebrating her achievement against an esteemed champion.
This win marks a challenging period for Gauff, 21, who has struggled since capturing the French Open title earlier this year. After facing early exits in Berlin and Wimbledon, she had attempted to rebound by winning two three-set matches in Montreal. However, the match against Mboko saw Gauff commit five double faults and 24 unforced errors, leading her to acknowledge Mboko’s superior performance, stating, “She’s playing high-level tennis.”
The match concluded in just over an hour, with Mboko leveraging the enthusiastic crowd to elevate her game. “When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder… I used that as more fuel for myself,” she noted.
Mboko’s next challenge will come against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who triumphed over Lin Zhu of China in a rain-interrupted match.
Interestingly, Mboko faced Gauff previously in Rome, where Gauff emerged victorious in three sets. Reflecting on that match, Mboko indicated she aimed to improve upon her prior performance, emphasizing her determination to rise to Gauff’s level during their encounter.
In other matches, 24th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, along with ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, also advanced to the quarterfinals, with both players overcoming their respective opponents in three sets.
Mboko’s victory not only highlights the emergence of young talent in women’s tennis but serves as an inspiration for aspiring athletes. The excitement surrounding her win suggests a promising future, as she continues to push the boundaries in competitive tennis.