Coco Gauff’s run at the Canadian Open has come to a screeching halt, with the number one seed dumped out of the draw by teenage sensation Victoria Mboko.
The last remaining hope for Canadian success in Montreal, there have been whispers about the talent possessed by this young superstar.
However, we had only seen glimpses before today, where she took apart the world number two with frightening ease.
Naturally, her cause was aided by yet another string of mistakes from the American, who endured an error-strewn tournament which saw her nearly defeated in both the first and second rounds.
It’s a credit to her mental fortitude and the strength of the rest of her game that she got as far as she did.
But it’s Mboko who deserves the praise, and Gauff was keen to deliver it.
Coco Gauff reacts to losing in the Canadian Open
Speaking in her post-match press conference, naturally, much of the focus was on the victor, given she had achieved such a landmark win on home soil.
As such, the Canadian reporters clamoured for Gauff’s verdict on Mboko, which she gladly gave.
The 21-year-old began by noting how hard it is to play such an in-form opponent: “Yeah, I mean, it is tough. I knew she would come in with a lot of confidence, and she’s won her first couple of rounds easily.
“Honestly, I haven’t played the best this tournament, so I knew that it would be tough. I don’t know, I just felt like I could do better today, but I also knew that if I took my foot off the gas a little bit, that she would take advantage of those moments, and she did.”
Then asked about how Mboko might have changed since their hard-fought encounter in Rome earlier this year, Gauff continued: “Honestly, I don’t think she played much different. I think it’s two different surfaces, and I felt like my level was a little bit higher in Rome, so I think the matchup was better.
“But still, I knew in Rome when I played her, it would be a tough match, and it was. I knew today it would be hard, and she’s playing, like, high-level tennis. Yeah, I think that’s what showed today. I think she was the better player today.”
After her last match, Serena Williams’ former coach told Gauff how she can fix her serve; the shot that has plagued her all event. Now, with this early exit, she has the time to begin the hard work.
Victoria Mboko clearly has a bright future
If there was any doubt before, Mboko has just proven exactly why there is so much hype around this 18-year-old talent.
And, having just secured the biggest win of her career, this is just the beginning.
It has been a year of great progression for the Canadian, who spent the bulk of 2024 bouncing around on the ITF Circuit.
However, 2025 has been transformative, typified not only by some great wins and fine runs in elite tournaments, but by how she has pushed some of the world’s best tennis players too.
In Miami, she pushed Paula Badosa to the brink, losing only in a third-set tiebreak.
In Rome, after emerging through qualifying, she found herself a set up on Gauff before sadly falling apart.
And now in Montreal, she has swept aside the likes of Sofia Kenin and Marie Bouzková on her way to the quarter-finals. She’s clearly not afraid of a challenge, with Mboko stating she was looking forward to playing Gauff before beating her.
It’s been a fairytale run for Mboko, and the sky truly is the limit for her.
