Winners of the tournament
There were truly remarkable scenes in Montreal, where teenage sensation Victoria Mboko emerged as a new star in women’s tennis, rallying from a set down to beat four-time major champion Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the Canadian Open showpiece.
Armed with vociferous support from an adoring home crowd, the 18-year-old Canadian proved too strong for a resurgent Osaka, capturing her first-ever WTA title as well as her fourth win of the fortnight over a Grand Slam champion.
Having swept aside Coco Gauff in the last 16 and saved a match point against Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals, Mboko once again showed her ability to mix it with the elite in Thursday’s final, as she punished an error-strewn performance from Osaka.
The Canadian, who began the year ranked 333rd in the world and playing on the second-tier ITF Tour, will soar to a projected 24th in the rankings as a result of winning the prestigious Masters 1000 title.
"I would have never thought something like this would have come so suddenly. It just proves that your dreams are closer than they (seem),” she said after her Montreal triumph.
Mboko will now turn her attention to the US Open, as she looks to continue her momentum and progress beyond the third round of a major for the first time.
Meanwhile, at the men’s event in Toronto, Ben Shelton clinched the biggest title of his burgeoning career, recovering from a set down to outlast Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) in a thrilling final.
The 22-year-old became the youngest American man to win a Masters 1000 crown since Andy Roddick in 2004, underlining his credentials as a future Grand Slam champion.
Victory capped a mightily impressive couple of weeks for the big-serving Shelton, who saw off high-quality opponents in Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and compatriot Taylor Fritz en route to the showdown with Khachanov.
He now rises one place to sixth in the ATP rankings, and with nine wins from his last 10 matches, he’ll certainly fancy his chances of further success in Cincinnati and then at the US Open.
Strugglers of the tournament
It was a desperately disappointing title defence for Jessica Pegula in Canada, with the third seed losing to Anastasija Sevastova 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Having battled past Maria Sakkari in her opening match, the American looked to be cruising against her unseeded opponent, but Pegula’s game quickly unravelled, culminating in a dismal final-set showing.
That’s now three defeats in four matches for Pegula since winning the Bad Homburg title back in June, and with plenty of points to defend in the coming weeks on home soil, she’ll be desperate to rediscover her winning habit quickly.
Another player who suffered a chastening early exit in Canada was Stefanos Tsitsipas, as the former world number three slumped to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 loss to Australia’s Christopher O’Connell.
Sitting as low as 30th in the rankings, the 26-year-old has endured a tough 12 months on Tour, culminating in an acrimonious split with short-term coach Goran Ivanisevic and a desperate run of five successive defeats (excluding exhibitions).
Back once again with father Apostolos as coach, Tsitsipas needs a strong end to the year as he looks to arrest an alarming decline and recapture the kind of form that took him to the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open finals.
Moment of the tournament
Despite falling at the final hurdle in Thursday’s showpiece against Mboko, there were plenty of encouraging signs for Osaka, who has struggled for consistency since returning from a maternity break last year.
The Japanese former world number one beat four seeds to reach the final, and looked in good spirits throughout the tournament, including singing Happy Birthday to a member of her team following a quarter-final victory over Elina Svitolina.
The 27-year-old, who parted company with coach Patrick Mouratoglou in July, will be desperate to continue her recent upturn in form throughout the rest of the year as she looks to get her career back on track.
Missing out on a first title since 2021 is certainly a blow, but with a new projected ranking of 25, the two-time US Open champion will be motivated to roll back the years at Flushing Meadows later this month.
Rallies of the tournament
De Minaur is one of the most difficult players to hit a winner past, and the Aussie once again showcased his incredible speed and defence in this remarkable point against Frances Tiafoe.
Clara Tauson outclassed Madison Keys in their Montreal quarter-final, including in this eye-catching rally.
Upcoming events
Given the unrelenting nature of the tennis calendar, it’s hardly surprising that the next tournament is already underway, with the combined men’s and women’s Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati kicking off on Thursday.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz return to action after their Wimbledon showdown to headline a stacked men’s draw, while Aryna Sabalenka is also back as she bids to defend the women’s title against the likes of Iga Swiatek, Gauff and last year’s runner-up, Pegula.
The Cincinnati Open is the final tune-up tournament before the US Open at the end of the month, providing the perfect opportunity for players to gain valuable momentum heading into the hard-court slam.
Check out the full men's schedule in Cincinnati here and the full women's draw here.
