Victoria Mboko takes on Naomi Osaka in a mouthwatering women’s singles final at the 2025 Canadian Open.
On paper, it is a final between two unseeded players at a WTA 1000 level tennis tournament; in reality, an enthralling battle awaits between an 18-year-old rising star and a four-time Grand Slam champion, both aiming for a maiden title of the season in Montreal.
Mboko, who burst onto the scene earlier in the 2025 campaign with main draw debut wins at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, now lies one match away from a first career title, at the elite WTA 1000 level just below the Grand Slams, no less.
Doing it on home courts would be even more special.
The Canadian has defeated three Slam champions in this tournament so far, including world no. 2 Coco Gauff and then Elena Rybakina in a three-set semi-final battle for the ages.
Mboko faces her idol and another former major winner in Osaka, the Japanese star back in the top 50 and aiming for a first season WTA trophy. The 27-year-old’s latest WTA 1000 victory came six years ago at the 2019 China Open against fellow former world No.1 Ashleigh Barty.
“It’s really cute,” Osaka said in a press conference, in response to being Mboko’s heroine. “I guess I have to have a really good attitude tomorrow. I can’t let her not like me anymore.”
“I’m really honoured. I always said that I would love to play someone that looked up to me in a way, so it’s happening way sooner than I thought it would.”
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2025 Canadian Open final – Mboko vs Osaka head-to-head record
This will be the first meeting between Mboko and Osaka, nine years apart in age and facing off for the first time with a 1000-title on the line.
It is a maiden final at this level for the Canadian youngster, while all five of Osaka’s WTA 1000 finals have come on hard court – she goes into Montreal with a 2-2 record.
2025 Canadian Open final – when and where to watch Victoria Mboko vs Naomi Osaka live
Mboko and Osaka face off on Thursday, 7 August at 18:00 local time in Montreal (EDT, GMT-4) on Centre Court at the National Bank Open.
