Osaka Doesn’t Acknowledge Mboko’s Maiden Title After Surprise Final Defeat

Naomi Osaka Overlooked Congratulating Mboko After Shock Canadian Open Final Loss.

Naomi Osaka suffered a surprising defeat to 18-year-old Victoria Mboko in the final of the Canadian Open on Friday, as the young Canadian claimed her maiden WTA title on home soil.

Following the match, Osaka thanked everyone involved in organising the tournament — her team, ball kids, volunteers, and organisers — but notably did not acknowledge Mboko or offer congratulations during her brief post-match speech.

“I don’t want to take up too much time, so I’ll just say it,” Osaka said. “Thank you to everyone, thank you to my team, thank you to the ball kids, thank you to the organisers and all the volunteers. I hope you had a good night.”

The omission did not sit well with fans, especially since Mboko openly admires the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Osaka’s journey to the final had been impressive, starting with a win over Ludmila Samsonova and followed by victories against Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova, Elina Svitolina, and Clara Tauson.

However, the final proved a different story as the 18-year-old Canadian capitalised on the passionate home crowd’s support and clinched her first WTA title on debut, delivering a memorable moment for Canadian tennis.