No one could have seen this coming, except for maybe Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka. Each player, like everyone else who picks up a tennis racket, had the belief they could win. The expectation might have been different, though.
Yet, here we are. In the final of the 2025 Canadian Open, Mboko will play Osaka for the title. While someone is going to take home the trophy, neither player will be a loser. The sport is better simply by the match.
Mboko is an 18-year-old Canadian trying to win her first career WTA title. How fitting would it be if she did so in her native country? What some might have missed is what an extraordinary year she has had so far. With her wins in qualifying for tournaments and her success on the WTT tour, she has a record of 52-9 this year. Astonishing.
Naomi Osaka versus Victoria Mboko should be tennis magic at the Canadian Open
But there is a huge difference between WTT and the WTA tour. Mboko made it through qualifying a bunch, only to lose relatively early in the main draw at the French Open and Wimbledon. Now, with a run in Montreal that has included victories against Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, the Canadian has proven she belongs among the best in tennis.
Naomi Osaka has reminded us she does, too. While she has had a slightly less difficult run at the Canadian Open, Osaka's play recalls the days when she was ranked No. 1 and won four Grand Slams.
The long-time fan-favorite began the year by reaching the ASB Classic, losing to Clara Tauson. She then played inconsistently for much of the year, but managed to take the title at the WTA 125 tournament, L'Open 35 de Saint Malo, in April.
The last time she reached the final of a Masters 1000 event was the 2022 Miami Open. She hasn't won a tournament of that level since the 2019 China Open, though she did win one US Open (2020) and one Australian Open (2021) since then. The Japanese player then took more than a year off from tennis while mentally resetting and giving birth.
Osaka's form in Montreal implies she could be a real threat to win the 2025 US Open. She certainly cannot be discounted.
The Canadian Open final will be a terrific watch, no matter who wins and who loses. It will be held on Thursday at 6 pm ET.