NEW YORK – Rising tennis star Victoria Mboko will face two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova in the opening round of the U.S. Open.
Meanwhile, fellow Canadians Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime received favourable first-round matchups in Thursday’s draw for the final Grand Slam of the season.
Mboko, who turns 19 on Tuesday, enters the hardcourt major tournament as the top-ranked Canadian, seeded 22nd in the women’s draw.
The Toronto teen is coming off her first WTA tournament victory at the 1000-level National Bank Open in Montreal. She posted wins over top seed Coco Gauff, world No. 10 Elena Rybakina and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka.
She will likely get another stiff test from Krejcikova.
The 29-year-old from Czechia enters the U.S. Open with a world ranki