Victoria Mboko Wins National Bank Open Debut in Montreal

Montreal, Canada – Toronto’s Victoria Mboko made a strong opening in her National Bank Open debut on Sunday, defeating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3. The match took place under the bright sun at IGA Stadium‘s Centre Court, where Mboko showcased her powerful serve by hitting 15 aces.

Mboko, 18, who currently ranks No. 88 in the world, is one of seven Canadians who received a wild card into the WTA 1000 main draw. Although born in North Carolina, she moved to Toronto at a young age and proudly represents Canada on the international stage.

During the match, Mboko started strong, breaking Birrell’s serve in the first game to lead 2-0. Though Birrell quickly equalized, both players held serve until the 12th game of the first set, where Mboko broke Birrell again to clinch the set.

In the second set, Mboko gained a significant advantage when Birrell committed a double fault, allowing her to take the lead 3-1. The Canadian maintained control of the match, holding serve three times to finish with a straight-sets victory.

This win marked Mboko’s first career victory in a WTA main draw on home soil, adding to her impressive season record of 46 wins against 8 losses. Earlier this year, she demonstrated her skills on the Grand Slam stage, qualifying for the French Open and reaching the third round at Wimbledon.

Next, Mboko will face American Sofia Kenin, the 23rd seed, who received a bye into the second round. After her match, she expressed gratitude for the support from local fans, saying, “It helped me as well to get through the match.”

Other Canadians also competed on Sunday. Marina Stakusic lost to Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, while Bianca Andreescu and Rebecca Marino advanced in their respective matches.