Nobody could have foreseen the National Bank Open women's tennis tournament's dream final, which pits an up-and-coming 18-year-old Canadian against one of the game's greatest players in an attempt to restart her career.
Not in the Top 300
Victoria Mboko, 18, will face Naomi Osaka of Japan this evening at 6 p.m. EST at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
After defeating No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 yesterday in front of a boisterous sellout crowd to reach to the final, Mboko, rated No. 85 in the world, has been the talk of the week. At the beginning of the year, Mboko, who has defeated three Grand Slam champions in Montreal, was rated No. 333.
After giving birth to her first child in 2023 and returning in 2024, Osaka, 27, is gradually getting back on track and holds seven singles titles. She has won the Grand Slam four times and has previously been ranked No. 1. After a 10-month relationship with coach Patrick Mouratoglou ended, Osaka is now working with Tomasz Wiktorowski in an attempt to regain her best performance.
Career Earnings Doubling
Where baseball's Toronto Blue Jays are right now in terms of "most surprising" and "feel good," the Mboko narrative is heartwarming in Canada. The Blue Jays' current position as the American League East's top team was not anticipated. For Canadians, the Jays and Mboko have both been a pleasant summertime diversion.
“It’s incredible, [Mboko] is super young, she’s super talented,” Osaka told Sportsnet. “I saw her playing in DC against Rybakina (in late July). She lost that match but I thought she was very impressive and obviously she’s playing well here.”
Mboko has assured herself of at least USD $391,600 by making the final, which will treble her career earnings (USD $396,293 in 2025). The winner will receive $752,275 USD. To win WTA Montreal, Mboko started at +20,000 at ESPN Bet, but after two wins, he soared up to +2,500. At ESPN Bet, Osaka is -200 while she is +140.
BetMGM Odds Updated
This afternoon, BetMGM's John Ewing reported that 79% of wagers are on Osaka, with 56% going to Mboko. He said that there hasn't been any line movement there, with Osaka at -179 and Mboko at +150 on the BetMGM moneyline.
Mboko's bothersome wrist is a problem before the game. She fell hard on her wrist during the Rybakina match, and according to Sportsnet, she later reported that her hand felt numb. In a medical timeout, Mboko had it bandaged up.
Shortly after defeating the 2022 Wimbledon champion, she informed Sportsnet that she felt much better.
Montreal Sells Out
A sellout crowd in Montreal tonight will undoubtedly try to build on the tremendous support from the fans. Tennis fans in Canada have fallen in love with Mboko.
Will that give Mboko a sufficient home court and home nation advantage to help him win?
“I feel like every day I have been thanking [the fans] for how much they have been helping me,” Mboko said after the win over Rybakina. “Obviously playing in front of the home crowd has its advantages. You always have everyone pumping you up as much as they can. It really pulls me through in the tough moments. I feel really blessed to have that kind of support.”