Coco Gauff has secured her spot in the fourth round of the Canadian Open after making an exceptional comeback from a set and a break down against Veronika Kudermetova by 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in Montreal.
Speaking during her post-match interview, the 21-year-old said, “It does give positives that I am winning these matches, having literally one part of my game on a crutch.
“If I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it will be a lot more straightforward and a lot easier for me.”
The 2025 French Open champion will now face 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, who recently reached a career-high ranking of No. 85.
Mboko made a strong statement by thrashing Marie Bouzkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 in an impressive comeback performance. With her powerful game and rapid rise, tennis analysts believe she’s well on track to break into the top 70, and possibly much higher.
Mboko played her first Hologic WTA Tour match in March, and on Tuesday, her win against No. 23 seed Sofia Kenin was her fifth against a Top 50 player.
Mboko is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She moved to Toronto at the age of four, and her love for tennis was love at first sight when she used to follow her siblings to the tennis court.
At the Age of 14, she played in her first ITF tournament in Prokuplje, Serbia. In January and February, she made a major statement when she won 20 consecutive matches and four titles in W35s and a W75, which were held at Martinique and Guadeloupe, France, Rome , Georgia, and Manchester and England.
Both Coco Gauff and Victoria Mboko have gone head-to-head before in 2025 this year at the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, delivering a thrilling second-round clash.
Mboko came out strong, taking the first set 6–3 and surprising fans with her fearless play, but Gauff bounced back in true champion style, winning the next two sets 6–2, 6–1 to seal the victory.
It was a standout moment for Mboko, proving she can hold her own against top-tier talent, and a reminder of why Gauff remains one of the toughest competitors on the WTA Tour.
