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At just 18 years old, Victoria Mboko didn’t just win her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour title on Friday; she claimed a place in tennis history and the hearts of fans worldwide. The Canadian wildcard slayed four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a thrilling comeback at the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Mboko’s journey through the tournament was nothing short of remarkable. Entering the event ranked No. 85, after starting the year outside the top 300, she surprised fans by conquering four Grand Slam champions this week, positioning the Charlotte, North Carolina native with iconic athlete Serena Williams, who in 1999 defeated four major winners in a single competition as just a teenager.
Victoria Mboko Delivers A Win and A Heartfelt Thank You
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
But it wasn’t just the scoreline that made the Mboko’s win unforgettable. It was what happened after.
Beaming with a voice full of gratitude, Mboko paid homage to Osaka, a player she admitted to watching while growing up, and thanked her for paving the way. The stunning athlete called Osaka an inspiration, acknowledging her greatness. “I wanna thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little,” she revealed. “It’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you.”
Mboko’s humility is as striking as her game. Even after a historic run that catapulted her into the top 25 rankings, she spoke more about gratitude than glory. “It just proves that your dreams are closer than they seem,” she told the crowd.
For many fans, especially Black women and girls, Mboko’s win carries more than athletic significance. Tennis has long been a sport where Black excellence has been hard-fought and trailblazed by only a few. Seeing another dark brown, Black girl dominate with power, grace, and humility sends a powerful message that we belong.
Mboko didn’t just win a title, she won hearts, rewrote narratives, and showed the world that power and softness, dominance and humility, can live in the same champion.
About Victoria Mboko
Here are a few things you didn’t know about the skilled beauty.
1. Victoria MbokoIs From Canada
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Mboko was born in North Carolina to parents who emigrated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The tennis star moved to Toronto as a baby.
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