Victoria Mboko continues her Cinderella journey against Elena Rybakina in the Canadian Open semifinals tonight in Montreal.
The 18-year-old Canadian wildcard and fan favorite has pulled off a stunning run at home, already knocking out Coco Gauff (6‑1, 6‑4) and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6‑4, 6‑2), both in straight sets.
Rybakina, the 9th seed, has also had a strong tournament, ousting Jaqueline Christian and Hailey Baptiste with efficiency, and coming back from a set down to defeat Dayana Yastremska in a two-and-a-half-hour battle. She had time to recuperate ahead of this match as her fourth-round opponent, Marta Kostyuk, retired three games into the second set.
She’ll need to use everything she’s got to defeat the surging Mboko tonight.
Mboko-Rybakina Head-to-Head
Rybakina leads the head-to-head 1-0, defeating Mboko in their only meeting, last month in Washington, in a relatively tight 6-3, 7-5 match.
What to Watch
Serve pressure vs. crowd energy: Rybakina averages over six aces per match with 75% of first-serve points won. Mboko’s serve helps her control pace, but will the home crowd amplify her intensity? She’s proven to be resilient so far.
Aggression under pressure: Mboko thrives on attacking early. Rybakina stays calm under pressure and demands short-ball errors. Can the Canadian control the second serve exchange?
Prediction
Mboko in three tight sets. Rybakina is a winner on hard courts and has the advantage of experience. But Mboko’s combination of strength and tactical brilliance even out the matchup, and the crowd support gives the Canadian the edge.
How to Watch Victoria Mboko vs. Elena Rybakina
Tonight’s semifinals match between Victoria Mboko and Elena Rybakina is expected to start at around 6:00 PM Eastern on Centre Court at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
The match may air live on the Tennis Channel or its streaming-only T2 Channel.
The Tennis Channel has a live stream simulcast of its TV coverage here, along with a dedicated feed for the Mboko-Rybakina match here.
Should none of these viewing options work for you, the Tennis Channel has a standalone streaming subscription available for $9.99/month or $109.99/year.
Mboko vs. Rybakina
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Expected Start Time: 6:00 PM Eastern
Venue: IGA Stadium, Montreal
Court: Centre Court
TV Coverage: Tennis Channel
Streaming: Tennis Channel app & website
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