Mboko is the first player in the Open Era to achieve this feat, defeating Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina in the second, fourth, and semifinal rounds, respectively. In the evening match on 6/8, Mboko lost the first set 1-6 to the 9th seed Rybakina but rallied to win 7-5, 7-6 in the next two sets, despite suffering a wrist injury after a fall.

Mboko celebrates her victory over Rybakina in the Canadian Open semifinal at Center Court in Montreal on 6/8. Photo: Reuters

Mboko celebrates her victory over Rybakina in the Canadian Open semifinal at Center Court in Montreal on 6/8. Photo: Reuters

Mboko’s victory was even more impressive as she twice saved match points in the deciding set, preventing Rybakina from securing the win on her serve. In the tie-break, she won the final three points from 4-4 to clinch the victory.

Having defeated three Grand Slam champions, including the in-form Gauff and Rybakina, Mboko has become the biggest surprise on the 2025 WTA Tour. She is the third player to reach her first WTA 1000 final, following Caroline Dolehide in Guadalajara in 2023 and Anna Kalinskaya in Dubai in 2024.

Mboko has climbed from 333rd to 85th in the world rankings before the Canadian Open and will break into the top 40 when the rankings are updated next week. Earlier this season, she won 22 consecutive matches, mostly at Challenger level, and claimed four ITF titles. Mboko competed in the Canadian Open thanks to a wildcard. She is the third wildcard entrant to reach the final, after Monica Seles in 1995 and Simona Halep in 2015.

In the final, Mboko will face another Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka. The 27-year-old four-time major winner has only dropped one set so far in the tournament. Osaka defeated rising star Clara Tauson 6-2, 7-6 in the semifinals and promises to be Mboko's toughest opponent in Montreal.

Mboko's parents are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She made her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros this year, with victories over Lulu Sun and Eva Lys before losing to 2024 Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the third round. In 2025, Mboko has won 50 of 59 matches at all levels in just over seven months.

Vy Anh