Victoria Mboko Upsets Coco Gauff at National Bank Open
MONTREAL — Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko made headlines on Saturday night by defeating top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4, securing her spot in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open.
After her impressive victory, Mboko expressed her joy to the crowd, saying, “Your support was incredible. I’m really happy. It’s amazing to beat such a great champion.”
This match marked a challenging stretch for Gauff, who has struggled since her recent French Open win. With this loss, she falls to 2-3, facing setbacks in both Berlin and Wimbledon before pushing through two three-set matches in Montreal. Unfortunately, Gauff’s performance against Mboko included five double faults, adding to her earlier struggles.
Mboko, ranked 85th globally, outperformed Gauff, who had 24 unforced errors throughout the match, finishing the encounter in just over an hour. “When I was up 5-4, the crowd became even louder,” Mboko shared. “I used that energy to motivate myself.”
Looking ahead, Mboko is set to face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round, who triumphed over Lin Zhu of China in a rain-interrupted match.
Gauff, on the other hand, acknowledged Mboko’s skill, stating, “She’s playing high-level tennis. I think she was the better player today.”
As the tournament progresses, fans and critics alike are eager to see how this young talent continues to rise in the tennis world.
