She faced Naomi Osaka for the chance to win a first WTA title, the four-time grand slam champion having booked her place in a WTA final for the first time since Miami in 2022. Osaka, the first Japanese player to reach the final at the Canadian Open and had something to prove after a lean period in her own career.

Victoria Mboko didn’t even have a picture on the WTA website before the National Bank Open in Montreal. Now, the 18-year-old is set to face Naomi Osaka in the first WTA final of her career.

Osaka has made progress since returning in last year's Australian Open. She won two matches in both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, has earned $725,727 in prize money and reached the No. 49 spot in the WTA rankings, with a higher ranking likely on the way by making the final.