‘Coco Killer’: Canadian Teen Victoria Mboko Stuns Gauff With Straight-Sets Win in Montreal
In a stunning upset at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko knocked out top seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff in straight sets, defeating the American 1-6, 4-6 to secure a place in the semifinals.
The 18-year-old Canadian played inspired tennis in front of a roaring home crowd, toppling the World No. 3 and marking the biggest win of her career so far. Speaking after the match, Mboko expressed her gratitude to the fans, saying, “Your support was incredible. I’m really happy to win today. It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.”
With relentless crowd support, Mboko closed out the match in just over an hour. She recalled how the energy in the arena helped her stay focused at a crucial moment: “When I was up 5-4, the crowd started cheering even louder, and everything got super noisy. I used that as fuel to pump myself up more.”
Gauff, who had beaten Mboko earlier this year at the Rome WTA tournament in three sets, acknowledged her opponent’s form: “She’s playing high-level tennis. That’s what showed today. She was the better player.”
Mboko admitted that their previous encounter had been on her mind: “I had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome. I remember how she raised her level, so I wanted to do the same today and match her shot for shot.”
With this win, Mboko advances to face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the semifinals. The Spaniard defeated China’s Lin Zhu in a rain-interrupted clash, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.
In other quarterfinal action, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina booked a face-off after Kostyuk came from behind to beat McCartney Kessler of the US 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, and Rybakina edged past fellow Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.
With Mboko’s star clearly rising, her home-country run continues to gather momentum—and headlines—as she eyes a spot in her first major final.
