Rising Canadian tennis star Victoria Mboko made a commanding debut in the main draw of the National Bank Open, defeating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, on a sweltering Sunday afternoon at IGA Stadium.
The 18-year-old from Toronto—currently ranked No. 88 in the world—delivered a powerful performance in front of a home crowd, firing 15 aces, many exceeding 180 km/h, and showcasing her growing confidence on the WTA Tour.
Mboko broke Birrell early to lead 2-0, but the Australian quickly broke back to level the first set. Both players held serve until the decisive 12th game, when Mboko broke again to claim the set 7-5.
In the second set, a costly double fault from Birrell handed Mboko a break and a 3-1 lead—one she would not relinquish. The Canadian held serve three more times to close out the match in just over 90 minutes, thrilling the Montreal crowd.
“It’s a great feeling to win my first WTA main draw match at home,” Mboko said after the match. “The support really helped me settle in and stay aggressive.”
Though born in North Carolina, Mboko moved to Toronto at a young age and now proudly represents Canada on the professional circuit. She was one of seven Canadian women granted wild cards into this year’s WTA 1000 main draw.
Her victory marks another milestone in a breakout season, which has seen her rise from No. 350 to inside the Top 100, amassing a 46-8 record in 2025, including an impressive 22-match win streak on the ITF Challenger Tour. She also reached the third round at the French Open and second round at Wimbledon, her best Grand Slam showings to date.
Mboko will next face 23rd-seeded American Sofia Kenin, who received a first-round bye.
Mixed Results for Canadians
Earlier in the day, Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., was eliminated in her first-round match, losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
“She didn’t give me many free points and served really well,” said Stakusic, reflecting on the loss.
Later in the evening, two more Canadian veterans took the court: Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 NBO champion, faced Czech star Barbora Krejcikova, while Rebecca Marino of Vancouver squared off against France’s Elsa Jacquemot.
This year’s expanded 12-day format features 96 players and daily action through to the final on August 7 at IGA Stadium in Montreal.