Victoria Mboko’s remarkable 6-1, 6-4 victory over top seed Coco Gauff at the 2025 Canadian Open places her among the youngest women to beat a No. 1 seed at a WTA 1000 tournament. At 18 years and 335 days old, the Canadian wildcard claimed a significant upset in the fourth round. Reflecting on the match, Mboko said, “Coming into the match, I was so locked in. I tried to keep my composure as much as I could, especially playing in front of so many people. This is a very special experience for me.”

Mboko’s path to the fourth round included wins over Kimberly Birrell (7-5, 6-3), Sofia Kenin (6-2, 6-3), and Marie Bouzkova (1-6, 6-3, 6-0). Her achievement makes her fifth on the list of youngest players to topple the WTA 1000 top seed since the category’s establishment in 2009.

Kai-Chen Chang tops this list as she beat Dinara Safina at 18 years and 258 days during the 2009 Pan Pacific Open. Belinda Bencic ranks third, defeating Serena Williams at the 2015 Canadian Open at the age of 18 years and 153 days, en route to her first WTA 1000 title. Mirra Andreeva, at just 17 years and 310 days, triumphed over Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, clinching the title while overcoming several top-ranked players.

Coco Gauff holds the record as the youngest to defeat a No. 1 seed in a WTA 1000 event, beating Ashleigh Barty at 17 years and 58 days old in the 2021 Italian Open quarter-finals. Gauff, currently ranked world No. 2, remains a formidable presence on tour.

Mboko’s milestone victory highlights a promising new generation making waves in women’s tennis, continuing a tradition of youthful breakthroughs at the highest level of WTA competition.

Emma Raducanu encountered a significant setback at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal, suffering a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Amanda Anisimova. The swift, one-hour defeat contrasts starkly with Raducanu’s previous victories over Anisimova earlier in 2025. With the US Open approaching, Raducanu must perform well at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati to secure a top-32 ranking and gain a seeded position. A quarter-final run, awarding 215 points, would greatly bolster her chances, while a last-16 showing could also be sufficient depending on other players’ rankings. Alternatively, Raducanu might enter the WTA Tour 250 event in Cleveland or the WTA 500 in Monterrey before the US Open to improve her seeding prospects.

A seeded status would shield Raducanu from facing top-tier competitors such as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, or Anisimova in early rounds. She has no ranking points to defend in the coming weeks due to her limited tournament play before last year’s US Open, when she entered with minimal US hard court experience and exited in the first round against Sofia Kenin.

Former British No. 1 Tim Henman comments on Raducanu’s progress: “This is not about the next four weeks for Emma, it’s about the next four years and where she can go. What is success? It is for her to get back into the top 30 or maybe the top 10? It’s about being the best version of yourself and maximising your potential. Now she has got a good team around her and I hope she sticks with it. Petch has been around the game for a long time and has been good for her. She has played lots of tournaments, been on court for a lot of matches and built up that physical resilience over what is a long season. I’m sure she will be licking some wounds after that defeat [against Swiatek] and the upside of finishing early at Roland Garros is she can put the clay court shoes away, head home and get ready for grass. I don’t have any concerns so long as she keeps on this path.”

Coco Gauff’s surprising defeat to Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko at the Canadian Open has significant implications for the WTA rankings battle with Iga Swiatek. The two-time Grand Slam champion fell 1-6, 4-6 in the Round of 16, managing only 43% first serves and committing 23 unforced errors. Despite having five break points, Gauff was unable to convert any against the 85th-ranked, 18-year-old opponent.

Gauff’s form was inconsistent throughout the tournament. Previously, she survived tight matches against Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova, despite hitting 23 and 14 double faults respectively in those encounters. Starting the tournament with 7,669 points as world No. 2, her fourth-round appearance increased her tally by 120 points to 7,789.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek, sitting at world No. 3 with 6,813 points before the event, also advanced to the fourth round. Her progression added 120 points to her total, bringing her to 6,933 points. She faces 19th-ranked Clara Tauson next, with a quarter-final appearance poised to push her to 7,028 points.

With Gauff’s exit, Swiatek has the chance to overtake the No. 2 ranking by winning the Canadian Open title. Such a victory would lift Swiatek to 7,813 points—24 points ahead of Gauff. This looming battle continues into the WTA 1000 Cincinnati tournament starting August 7, where the ranking outcome will determine the second seed at the US Open, affecting potential match-ups with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Swiatek’s momentum is strong, riding a nine-match winning streak that includes her first Wimbledon title and sixth Grand Slam overall.