‘Allez Vicky’ – Mboko emerges as tennis’ new star

Wildcard Victoria Mboko won her first WTA title by coming from behind to beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final.

For the second successive match, the 18-year-old Canadian had to show resilience after conceding the opening set but rallied to win 2-6 6-4 6-1.

Mboko began the year ranked 333rd in the world but is projected to rise to 34 after a win that delighted her home crowd.

“I was super happy to be playing in Montreal for the first time ever. I just remember feeling nervous, but really taking in the moment as much as I possibly could,” Mboko said.

“When I won my first round, I was super happy and super content. I would have never thought that I would have made it to the final, let alone win the tournament.

“I have so many emotions going through my head, I can’t even express it.”

The final of the men’s Canadian Open, which was being played between Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov at the same time in Toronto, had to be halted when the crowd broke out in celebration after learning Mboko had won her match.

American Shelton, who won 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3), looked confused at the reaction and asked “what’s going on?” before walking over to speak with the chair umpire.

Mboko has made a habit of starting slowly on home soil over the past two weeks – coming from a set down to win on three occasions.

She struggled to find her rhythm early with 22 unforced errors allowing Osaka to wrap up the opening set in 38 minutes.

The second set was chaotic with seven breaks of serve but Mboko took control with a break to lead 5-2.

Serving for the set, she came up with three double faults to hand the break back but did go on force a decider after holding in her next service game.

Mboko broke to love in the opening game of the third set but was unable to consolidate as Osaka hit straight back.

But the local favourite went on to win the final five games, drawing chants of “Allez Vicky” as she sealed victory.

Mboko has appeared at two Grand Slams this year – reaching the third round of the French Open and the second round at Wimbledon.

The US Open, which begins on 24 August, is up next but Mboko was keen to temper expectations.

“I’ll be playing it for the first time, so there’s a lot of new beginnings for me,” Mboko said.

“Although I’m experiencing everything for the first time this year, I think along the way it’s obviously going to be an up-and-down journey, but I just want to enjoy the process as much as possible.

“Not everything will go my way or not everything is going to be positive but I’m just really happy to be in this situation… I think it builds character.”

After beginning the season with a 22-match unbeaten run on the second-tier ITF Tour, Mboko has shown over the past two weeks that she can mix it with the elite – beating Grand Slam winners Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, Elena Rybakina and Osaka.

It’s validation of hard work from the age of three, and for parents who landed in a very different United States in 1999 – one which provided solace from political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But it’s in Toronto where Mboko – who was born in Charlotte in the US – was inspired to play tennis.

“I remember going there as a kid and watching all the great players playing,” Mboko told the Women’s Tennis Association.

“We were watching a lot of Serena and Venus [Williams], and that’s where I took a lot of inspiration, because Serena was literally the greatest of all time. I used to see how the pros are and I used to be in so much awe of them. And now I’m seeing them like right beside me.”

Mboko’s coach Nathalie Tauziat – a former world number three and Wimbledon finalist in the 1998 – has overseen Mboko’s remarkable form after previously guiding her in the junior ranks.

“I think what is important for her is to see us not panic when something happens. I remember at the beginning of the year, she always told me: ‘Oh, you’re so calm during the match,” Tauziat said.