Victoria Mboko claims maiden WTA tour title with win over Naomi Osaka

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko claimed her first WTA Tour crown as she denied Naomi Osaka a first title for four years in the National Bank Open.

The 18-year-old, ranked 85th in the world, came from a set down against the former world number one to win 2-6 6-4 6-1 in Montreal, becoming the third Canadian to win the event.

The final featured 13 service breaks, Mboko converting eight of her nine break point opportunities after forcing none in a first set when she made 22 unforced errors.

“It’s been an incredible week,” said Mboko, who had previously knocked out grand slam champions Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina.

“I also want to thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little, so it’s always great to play with an amazing player like you.

Having started the year ranked 333, Mboko will rise to 34 in the updated rankings.

Osaka’s last title was at the Australian Open in 2021. The final was her first at the WTA 1000 level since Miami in 2022 and her best performance since returning from maternity leave after having her daughter Shai in July 2023.

By contrast, the final of the men’s event in Toronto yielded just three breaks of serve as American fourth seed Ben Shelton outlasted Karen Khachanov, seeded 11th, to win 6-7 6-4 7-6.

Second seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool beat sixth seeds Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 6-3 6-7 13-11 in an all-British doubles final.

The victory, Cash and Glasspool’s sixth of the year and first ATP Masters 1000 success, ensured the Wimbledon champions are the first pair to ensure qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin.

Cash told the ATP website: “Qualifying for Turin was one of our big goals in the offseason, so to have done it so early is obviously amazing.

“But (we have) got some more things to do before the end of the season and then we’ll push for that at the end.”