MONTREAL - She’s a rising star, a fighter — and now, a champion.
Victoria Mboko did it again on Thursday night, rallying back through a wrist injury to defeat four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the National Bank Open final, capping a fairytale run that fans across Canada won’t soon forget.
The 18-year-old Canadian tennis sensation dropped to her knees after Osaka fired a shot into the net as a packed house hit ear-splitting decibels around IGA Stadium’s centre court.
“It’s been an incredible week here in Montreal,” Mboko told the crowd in a post-match ceremony. “Montreal, je vous aime!”
Mboko hugged her family and coaches in the courtside box after gutting out another thrilling comeback to claim her first career WTA title — at a 1000-level event, no less.
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