Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko’s breakthrough 2025 season has hit another milestone on home soil in Montreal. The 18-year-old defeated Czech Marie Bouzkova on Thursday night at the Omnium Banque Nationale 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. 

Montreal: Draws | Scores | Order of play

Mboko, who this time last year was ranked outside the Top 300 in the PIF WTA Rankings, won eight straight games to snap the seven-match winning streak of Bouzkova, who won the LiveSport Prague Open last week.

World No. 35 Bouzkova appeared to be hampered physically after the pair split sets, receiving treatment on her right quad — and Mboko took full advantage. The wild card dropped just eight points in the final set to win a match from a set down for the first time at Hologic WTA Tour level. 

“I’m grateful for each and every one of you. This is so amazing and it’s such an amazing experience to be able to celebrate together … I don’t even know what to say,” a breathless Mboko told the crowd after becoming the youngest Canadian to reach the Round of 16 at her country’s signature tournament since Helen Kelesi in 1988.

2: In just her TK career WTA main-draw, Mboko has matched her best result by reaching the Round of 16. She previously did that just last week at the WTA 500 in Washington, D.C. 

5: Mboko is the fifth 18-year-old to reach the Round of 16 in Canada in the last 10 years, joining Belinda Bencic, Catherine Cartan Bellis, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff — the latter of whom is her next opponent.

7: In all, Mboko broke Bouzkova’s serve seven times — and six times in her last eight service games.

23: Mboko is now a staggering 23-8 against players ranked above this season — part of a 49-9 win-loss record at all levels to date.

32: Mboko doubled Bouzkova’s total of winners in the match, hitting 32 to 16. 

Despite her short history on tour, Mboko will now face Gauff for a second time. Earlier this year in Rome, the Canadian captured the first set against Gauff in the first round before the American rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.

Gauff was impressed by Mboko in that match — and reaffirmed that belief in Montreal.

“She’s definitely playing like one of the top players in the world right now, “Gauff said after her own comeback win against Veronika Kudermetova. “Her ranking will definitely match that soon.”