The biggest story of the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal has been the performance of Victoria Mboko of Burlington, Ontario. On Saturday, Mboko clobbered world number two and the National Bank Open’s number one seed Coco Gauff of the United States, 6-1, 6-4. Quite frankly, it was one of the greatest performances by a Canadian tennis player of all-time, as the favourite to win the tournament and two-time grand slam champion was completely off her game.
Mboko broke Gauff four times in five opportunities. Mboko won 81% of her points on her second serve, while Gauff only won 60%. This was the first time Mboko beat Gauff. In their first meeting in the second round of the 2025 Italian Open, Gauff came through with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.
Next up in the quarterfinals, Mboko will play Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. Bouzas Maneiro beat Lin Zhu of China in the fourth round on Saturday, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. Bouzas Maneiro broke Zhu nine times in 13 opportunities.
What we saw from Mboko on Saturday was something completely spectacular. Mboko was in complete control beginning in the early stages of the first set, and delivered an amazing break at the end. According to dimers.com, the odds of Gauff coming through and getting the win was at 71%.
