Qualified for the semi-finals, Victoria Mboko continues her dream run in Montreal

Victoria Mboko, just 18 years old, continues her fine run at the WTA 1000 in Montreal, after defeating Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6-4, 6-2) and qualifying for the semifinals on Monday. Ranked 85th in the world, the Canadian player entered the draw with an invitation and continues to shine, following her exploit against Coco Gauff, the world number 2, in the previous round.

Against Bouzas Maneiro (WTA No. 51), Mboko was able to accelerate at the end of the first set with two consecutive breaks. She relaxed for a while at the start of the second set (0-2), before unfolding by winning the last six games of the match. The young woman reaches the semifinals of a tournament of this level for the first time in her career. She is the first Canadian woman in the semifinals of this tournament since Bianca Andreescu won the title in 2019.

Only 350th in the world at the end of 2024, Mboko had a great year in 2025 (four tournaments won on the secondary circuit and third round at Roland-Garros) and will enter the world top 50 next week.

In the semi-finals, she will face Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, ranked 12th in the world, who led 6-1, 2-1 before benefiting from the withdrawal of Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, visibly with a problem in her right wrist, on Tuesday. Mboko was dominated by Rybakina two weeks ago in the second round of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington.

In the absence of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and following the eliminations of Gauff and Iga Swiatek, American Madison Keys (world No. 8), winner of the Australian Open last January, is now the highest-ranked player in the tournament and will play her quarter-final against Denmark's Clara Tauson (WTA No. 19) this Tuesday.