"This kid is the REAL deal": Eugenie Bouchard, Serena Williams' ex-coach & tennis world in awe of Victoria Mboko after she reaches Canadian Open final

Eugenie Bouchard, Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, and others from the tennis world hailed praises for Victoria Mboko as she advanced to the final round at the 2025 Canadian Open. Mboko defeated ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday, August 6.

Mboko pulled a stunning comeback after a tough first set, winning the next set and the tiebreak in a two-hour, 46-minute battle. Impressed by the 18-year-old's breakthrough win, a few big names from the tennis world cheered for her. Williams' former coach Stubbs admired the Canadian sensation while highlighting her strong and fast serve, writing:

"This kid is the REAL deal. She has so much raw ability. Power, grit, great mover, huge serve, just amazing upside. There are some technical things on serve i would clean up, but damn she is going to win a lot of matches on the wta tour!"

"UNBELIEVABLE!!! MmmmmmmmmmBOKO!!!!!," added Stubbs.

The Montreal native Bouchard shared a video of Mboko showcasing her incredible talent at the Centre Court and chimed in,

"Girlie!!!!!!!"

Screen shot of Instgram sto(Image by Instagram@c_millly and Getty)

Former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert also expressed his support for her while suggesting that the Canadian teenager deserves a nickname.

"What a great effort from Mboko taking out Ryba and the crowd was absolutely 💯 rocking she definitely 👍 is need of of nickname

Victoria Mboko will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Thursday.

"Don’t like to give up" - Victoria Mboko opens up on her mentality after dominant performances at the 2025 Canadian Open

Victoria Mboko during the 2025 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros in Paris. (Photo via Getty Images)

After clinching a spot in her first-ever WTA-level final, Victoria Mboko opened up about her unwavering mentality, stating she never gives up. Mboko reached the final round after defeating Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 in the round of 16 and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. In a post-match interview, the Canadian rising star spoke about her mentality:

“I feel like I always had that kind of mentality when I played, I don’t like to give up and I don’t wanna the my opponent the match just like that. So, every chance I had to honestly come back and stay in the match, I tried to take it as much as possible.” (via profootballnetwork.com)

Victoria Mboko became the first Canadian player to outplay three former Grand Slam champions, including Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Sofia Kenin, in a single WTA event in the Open Era.

About the author

Janhavi is a Sports Management graduate working as a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking before creating content, relying on multiple sources including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.

She has competed in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event at the national level alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, which further fueled her passion for the sport.

Abhinav Bindra is her favorite Olympian, and she particularly cherishes his and Neeraj Chopra's gold medal victories as they revolutionized Indian athletes' mindset towards achieving sporting excellence.

If given the opportunity to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, she would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Apart from reporting on the latest news in the world of Olympics, she likes to immerse herself in reading, painting, and traveling.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma