Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko conquered four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday, capping a fairytale run at the WTA Canadian Open with her first WTA title. Mboko, 18 and playing in her first WTA final, denied Osaka her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, wearing down the Japanese star, 27, who has struggled to find consistency since returning from maternity leave early in 2024. Mboko, who was ranked outside the top 300 to start the season and had climbed to 85th entering the week, is now projected to rise to 34th in the world.&nbsp;Before an ecstatic center court crowd of 11,000, she converted eight of her nine break points, seizing her fourth win of the week over a Grand Slam winner.&nbsp;She ousted former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the second round and toppled reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth before saving a match point en route to a semi-final victory over former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cj-gardner-johnson-injury-former-philadelphia-eagles-safety-suffers-leg-injury-during-camp-1754585266591">CJ Gardner-Johnson injury: Former Philadelphia Eagles safety suffers leg injury during camp</a>&nbsp;"It's been an incredible week here in Montreal," Mboko said at the trophy presentation. "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."&nbsp;Displaying vintage power and precision, Osaka gave her inexperienced opponent little room to maneuver in the first set, gaining an early break on the way to a 3-0 lead and pocketing the set when Mboko, who had 22 unforced errors in the set, mis-fired on two forehands to drop her serve a second time.&nbsp;Mboko turned the tide in a second set that featured seven total breaks of serve. Osaka looked bewildered as Mboko ramped up the pressure, the Canadian breaking her at love for a 5-2 lead.&nbsp;Serving for the set, however, Mboko coughed up three double faults and was broken. Osaka capitalized on the reprieve with a hold at love, but Mboko took the set in the next game when Osaka sailed a forehand long on set point.&nbsp;Osaka appeared demoralized as she was broken at love to open the third set.&nbsp;Mboko, who had 13 double faults in the match, couldn't consolidate the break.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Mboko, who was ranked outside the top 300 to start the season and had climbed to 85th entering the week, is now projected to rise to 34th in the world.

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko conquered four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday, capping a fairytale run at the WTA Canadian Open with her first WTA title. Mboko, 18 and playing in her first WTA final, denied Osaka her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, wearing down the Japanese star, 27, who has struggled to find consistency since returning from maternity leave early in 2024. Mboko, who was ranked outside the top 300 to start the season and had climbed to 85th entering the week, is now projected to rise to 34th in the world. Before an ecstatic center court crowd of 11,000, she converted eight of her nine break points, seizing her fourth win of the week over a Grand Slam winner. She ousted former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the second round and toppled reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth before saving a match point en route to a semi-final victory over former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. Also read | CJ Gardner-Johnson injury: Former Philadelphia Eagles safety suffers leg injury during camp "It's been an incredible week here in Montreal," Mboko said at the trophy presentation. "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." Displaying vintage power and precision, Osaka gave her inexperienced opponent little room to maneuver in the first set, gaining an early break on the way to a 3-0 lead and pocketing the set when Mboko, who had 22 unforced errors in the set, mis-fired on two forehands to drop her serve a second time. Mboko turned the tide in a second set that featured seven total breaks of serve. Osaka looked bewildered as Mboko ramped up the pressure, the Canadian breaking her at love for a 5-2 lead. Serving for the set, however, Mboko coughed up three double faults and was broken. Osaka capitalized on the reprieve with a hold at love, but Mboko took the set in the next game when Osaka sailed a forehand long on set point. Osaka appeared demoralized as she was broken at love to open the third set. Mboko, who had 13 double faults in the match, couldn't consolidate the break. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Mboko, who was ranked outside the top 300 to start the season and had climbed to 85th entering the week, is now projected to rise to 34th in the world.

Canadian teen Mboko stuns Naomi Osaka to win WTA Montreal crown

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko booked a championship showdown with gritty semi-final wins on Wednesday (Aug 6) in the WTA Canadian Open in Montreal. Japan's Osaka, chasing her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, saved a pair of set points in the second-set tiebreaker to polish off a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Denmark's Clara Tauson -- who was coming off victories over Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek and Australian Open winner Madison Keys.&nbsp;Mboko saved a match point in a thrilling 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory over former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The 18-year-old wild card fed off the energy of the crowd, crediting ecstatic supporters with carrying her through after a tumble left her with a sore right wrist in the third set of her first tour-level semi-final.&nbsp;Mboko, who ousted top-seeded French Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round, didn't let it stop her.&nbsp;After going down an early break in the third set, she refused to go quietly, loading up on her forehand, fending off a match point as she broke Rybakina in the 10th game to level the set.&nbsp;A couple of untimely double faults helped ninth-seeded Rybakina break back for a 6-5 lead, but the ninth seed from Kazakhstan was broken at love in the next game, setting the stage for tiebreaker drama.&nbsp;"After I had that fall, I wasn't in the greatest spirits, but I'm happy that I kept my composure and I was kind of patient in the right moments," said Mboko, who won the last three points of a decider she called "stressful". "Anything can happen," an exhausted Mboko beamed as the crowd's cheers rained down on her.&nbsp;“Unfortunately, I fell, but I had everyone supporting me and pushing me.”&nbsp;Mboko started the season ranked outside the top 300 but had worked her way up to 85th coming into the week by grinding away in lower-level tournaments.&nbsp;She is assured of breaking into the top 40 no matter the result against Osaka, a former world number one who has struggled to find consistency since returning from maternity leave in 2024.&nbsp;She has looked re-energised this week after a coaching shakeup and rolled through the first set against Tauson.&nbsp;But Tauson twice regained a break in the second set as she pushed it to the tiebreaker, where she had chances to level the match after taking a 6-4 lead.&nbsp;Unable to convert her set points, the Dane saved one match point to make it 7-7, but Osaka won the next two to seal the victory and reach her first final in a WTA 1000-level event since Miami in 2022.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Japan's Osaka, chasing her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, saved a pair of set points in the second-set tiebreaker to polish off a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Denmark's Clara Tauson. 

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko booked a championship showdown with gritty semi-final wins on Wednesday (Aug 6) in the WTA Canadian Open in Montreal. Japan's Osaka, chasing her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, saved a pair of set points in the second-set tiebreaker to polish off a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Denmark's Clara Tauson -- who was coming off victories over Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek and Australian Open winner Madison Keys. Mboko saved a match point in a thrilling 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory over former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The 18-year-old wild card fed off the energy of the crowd, crediting ecstatic supporters with carrying her through after a tumble left her with a sore right wrist in the third set of her first tour-level semi-final. Mboko, who ousted top-seeded French Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round, didn't let it stop her. After going down an early break in the third set, she refused to go quietly, loading up on her forehand, fending off a match point as she broke Rybakina in the 10th game to level the set. A couple of untimely double faults helped ninth-seeded Rybakina break back for a 6-5 lead, but the ninth seed from Kazakhstan was broken at love in the next game, setting the stage for tiebreaker drama. "After I had that fall, I wasn't in the greatest spirits, but I'm happy that I kept my composure and I was kind of patient in the right moments," said Mboko, who won the last three points of a decider she called "stressful". "Anything can happen," an exhausted Mboko beamed as the crowd's cheers rained down on her. “Unfortunately, I fell, but I had everyone supporting me and pushing me.” Mboko started the season ranked outside the top 300 but had worked her way up to 85th coming into the week by grinding away in lower-level tournaments. She is assured of breaking into the top 40 no matter the result against Osaka, a former world number one who has struggled to find consistency since returning from maternity leave in 2024. She has looked re-energised this week after a coaching shakeup and rolled through the first set against Tauson. But Tauson twice regained a break in the second set as she pushed it to the tiebreaker, where she had chances to level the match after taking a 6-4 lead. Unable to convert her set points, the Dane saved one match point to make it 7-7, but Osaka won the next two to seal the victory and reach her first final in a WTA 1000-level event since Miami in 2022. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Japan's Osaka, chasing her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, saved a pair of set points in the second-set tiebreaker to polish off a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Denmark's Clara Tauson.&nbsp;

Naomi Osaka faces Canadian teen Victoria Mboko in WTA Montreal title clash

Jessica Pegula overpowered a weary Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the second WTA 1000 title of her career on Sunday with a victory in the Montreal Open.

The 29-year-old American world number three dominated her Russian opponent from start to finish to claim a whirlwind 6-1, 6-0 triumph in just 49 minutes.

Fifteenth-seed Samsonova had battled through to the final after winning a gruelling three-set semi-final earlier Sunday against third seed Elena Rybakina in a match held over from Saturday due to torrential rain.

But the challenge of winning twice in one day ultimately proved too much for Samsonova, a rampant Pegula determined to claim her second elite WTA title after victory in Guadalajara last year.

"I know obviously physically she wasn't feeling her best, but at the same time I played a really clean match," Pegula said after her win.

"I don't think I made any unforced errors or anything. I played kind of a perfect match."&nbsp;

Pegula admitted, however, that she would have preferred to have faced a properly rested Samsonova.

"It's not ideal... it sucks when you feel like you're not on a really fair playing ground, especially someone like her who is such a great player," Pegula said.

Samsonova, meanwhile, said the schedule had taken its toll, with little time to rest and recuperate between the semi-final and the final.

"I didn't have time to regenerate because I was in the physio room to tape all my body, and it takes one hour. I was out of the court and then again in, it was strange," she said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-couldnt-perform-in-icc-tournaments-due-to-internal-issues-claims-former-pakistan-captain-625009">India couldn't perform in ICC tournaments due to internal issues, claims former Pakistan captain</a>

Pegula, a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, was quickly into her groove with an early break in the opening set to go 3-1 up.

A superb crosscourt forehand put her 4-1 up before the visibly tired Samsonova was broken again in the sixth game to leave Pegula serving for the set.

Pegula, who defeated world number one Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals on Saturday, slammed down an ace to move to set point, then bludgeoned another ace to close out the set.

Samsonova's troubles continued in the second set, with a double fault gifting Pegula a break in the opening game.

From that point, it became simply a question of how quickly Pegula would wrap up victory, and the American was in no mood to drag out the second set.

A brilliant backhand crosscourt volley helped set up a break for a 3-0 lead and she then reeled off three more games to seal an emphatic win.

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Jessica Pegula overpowered a weary Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the second WTA 1000 title of her career on Sunday with a victory in the Montreal Open. The 29-year-old American world number three dominated her Russian opponent from start to finish to claim a whirlwind 6-1, 6-0 triumph in just 49 minutes.

Jessica Pegula overpowered a weary Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the second WTA 1000 title of her career on Sunday with a victory in the Montreal Open. The 29-year-old American world number three dominated her Russian opponent from start to finish to claim a whirlwind 6-1, 6-0 triumph in just 49 minutes. Fifteenth-seed Samsonova had battled through to the final after winning a gruelling three-set semi-final earlier Sunday against third seed Elena Rybakina in a match held over from Saturday due to torrential rain. But the challenge of winning twice in one day ultimately proved too much for Samsonova, a rampant Pegula determined to claim her second elite WTA title after victory in Guadalajara last year. "I know obviously physically she wasn't feeling her best, but at the same time I played a really clean match," Pegula said after her win. "I don't think I made any unforced errors or anything. I played kind of a perfect match." Pegula admitted, however, that she would have preferred to have faced a properly rested Samsonova. "It's not ideal... it sucks when you feel like you're not on a really fair playing ground, especially someone like her who is such a great player," Pegula said. Samsonova, meanwhile, said the schedule had taken its toll, with little time to rest and recuperate between the semi-final and the final. "I didn't have time to regenerate because I was in the physio room to tape all my body, and it takes one hour. I was out of the court and then again in, it was strange," she said. ALSO READ | India couldn't perform in ICC tournaments due to internal issues, claims former Pakistan captain Pegula, a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, was quickly into her groove with an early break in the opening set to go 3-1 up. A superb crosscourt forehand put her 4-1 up before the visibly tired Samsonova was broken again in the sixth game to leave Pegula serving for the set. Pegula, who defeated world number one Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals on Saturday, slammed down an ace to move to set point, then bludgeoned another ace to close out the set. Samsonova's troubles continued in the second set, with a double fault gifting Pegula a break in the opening game. From that point, it became simply a question of how quickly Pegula would wrap up victory, and the American was in no mood to drag out the second set. A brilliant backhand crosscourt volley helped set up a break for a 3-0 lead and she then reeled off three more games to seal an emphatic win. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tennis: Jessica Pegula overpowers Liudmila Samsonova to clinch Montreal Open crown

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made a triumphant comeback in her return to competition after a layoff of more than three years at the WTA Montreal Open on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Danish star defeated 115th-ranked Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2 in her comeback match at the hardcourt event, a tune-up for the US Open, which starts on August 28 in New York.

"I'm happy," Wozniacki said. "A little tired. Just it was fun to be out there again playing on center court in front of a big crowd. I'm just thrilled that I could win my first match in 3 1/2 years."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rugby-world-cup-skipper-siya-kolisi-included-in-south-africas-squad-623569">Rugby World Cup: Skipper Siya Kolisi included in South Africa's squad</a>

Her second-round opponent&nbsp;will be reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech world number 10 who ousted Egypt's 33rd-ranked Mayar Sherif 6-4, 6-2.

Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, retired after a third-round loss at the 2020 Australian Open. She gave birth to two children and became a television commentator, her WTA playing days seemingly complete.

But Wozniacki announced in June she was making a comeback and received wildcard entries into Montreal and next week's Cincinnati tournament as stepping-stones to the US Open, where she was runner-up in 2009 and 2014.

Before her retirement, Wozniacki won 30 titles and 635 career matches. She spent 71 weeks atop the rankings.

Now she has her first match victory as a mother, having given birth to son James and daughter Olivia in the 1,293 days since being ousted by Ons Jabeur at Melbourne in 2020.

"That's pretty crazy," she said. "I was just looking at the clock actually. My kids are napping right now which is awesome. So I'm going to catch them after I do a little bit of treatment and food and stuff.

"That's the good part of playing early. I still have the afternoon with them."

Wozniacki dropped the opening game but rallied to capture the final four games of the opening set, the last on a Birrell double fault after 43 minutes.

"I was definitely a little rusty," Wozniacki said.

Wozniacki broke for a 4-2 edge in the second set, held for a 5-2 lead and broke again on a backhand winner to secure the victory after 97 minutes, raising her arms skyward with a smile of delight at her achievement.

<h2>Excited to be back</h2>

"I'm just excited to be back and competing, and I think for me it's so special having my family here," Wozniacki said. "As a 33-year-old that has played on tour for many years, and doing it with my kids that now, especially the older one is starting to really understand and gets to really experience the world and different countries, I think it's so cool."

Lifting her comeback from practice courts to matches was a major step for Wozniacki.

"I didn't really know what to expect," Wozniacki said. "You have all these things in your head that this is how you're supposed to be playing and you're supposed to be doing this and that, but to be honest, I had no idea what I was going to come up with when I was out on court because I just haven't played a real match in so long.

"It was all about not getting down on myself if I made a mistake and not get too excited when I hit a good shot. So it was just kind of evening out those emotions. I think everything taken into consideration, I'm very happy with how I played today and how I got through."

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Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made a triumphant comeback in her return to competition after a layoff of more than three years at the WTA Montreal Open on Tuesday.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made a triumphant comeback in her return to competition after a layoff of more than three years at the WTA Montreal Open on Tuesday. The 33-year-old Danish star defeated 115th-ranked Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2 in her comeback match at the hardcourt event, a tune-up for the US Open, which starts on August 28 in New York. "I'm happy," Wozniacki said. "A little tired. Just it was fun to be out there again playing on center court in front of a big crowd. I'm just thrilled that I could win my first match in 3 1/2 years." Also Read: Rugby World Cup: Skipper Siya Kolisi included in South Africa's squad Her second-round opponent will be reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech world number 10 who ousted Egypt's 33rd-ranked Mayar Sherif 6-4, 6-2. Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, retired after a third-round loss at the 2020 Australian Open. She gave birth to two children and became a television commentator, her WTA playing days seemingly complete. But Wozniacki announced in June she was making a comeback and received wildcard entries into Montreal and next week's Cincinnati tournament as stepping-stones to the US Open, where she was runner-up in 2009 and 2014. Before her retirement, Wozniacki won 30 titles and 635 career matches. She spent 71 weeks atop the rankings. Now she has her first match victory as a mother, having given birth to son James and daughter Olivia in the 1,293 days since being ousted by Ons Jabeur at Melbourne in 2020. "That's pretty crazy," she said. "I was just looking at the clock actually. My kids are napping right now which is awesome. So I'm going to catch them after I do a little bit of treatment and food and stuff. "That's the good part of playing early. I still have the afternoon with them." Wozniacki dropped the opening game but rallied to capture the final four games of the opening set, the last on a Birrell double fault after 43 minutes. "I was definitely a little rusty," Wozniacki said. Wozniacki broke for a 4-2 edge in the second set, held for a 5-2 lead and broke again on a backhand winner to secure the victory after 97 minutes, raising her arms skyward with a smile of delight at her achievement. Excited to be back "I'm just excited to be back and competing, and I think for me it's so special having my family here," Wozniacki said. "As a 33-year-old that has played on tour for many years, and doing it with my kids that now, especially the older one is starting to really understand and gets to really experience the world and different countries, I think it's so cool." Lifting her comeback from practice courts to matches was a major step for Wozniacki. "I didn't really know what to expect," Wozniacki said. "You have all these things in your head that this is how you're supposed to be playing and you're supposed to be doing this and that, but to be honest, I had no idea what I was going to come up with when I was out on court because I just haven't played a real match in so long. "It was all about not getting down on myself if I made a mistake and not get too excited when I hit a good shot. So it was just kind of evening out those emotions. I think everything taken into consideration, I'm very happy with how I played today and how I got through." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki makes triumphant return with win in first round of WTA Montreal Open

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Canadian teen Mboko stuns Naomi Osaka to win WTA Montreal crown

Naomi Osaka faces Canadian teen Victoria Mboko in WTA Montreal title clash

Tennis: Jessica Pegula overpowers Liudmila Samsonova to clinch Montreal Open crown

Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki makes triumphant return with win in first round of WTA Montreal Open