MONTREAL:Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko booked a championship showdown with gritty semifinal wins on Wednesday in the WTA Canadian Open in Montreal.
Japan’s Osaka, chasing her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, saved a pair of set points in the second-set tiebreak to polish off a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) victory over Denmark’s Clara Tauson — who was coming off victories over Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek and Australian Open winner Madison Keys.
Mboko saved a match point in a thrilling 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory over former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The 18-year-old wild card fed off the energy of the crowd, crediting ecstatic supporters with carrying her through after a tumble left her with a sore right wrist in the third set of her first tour-level semifinal.
Mboko, who ousted top-seeded French Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round, didn’t let it stop her.
After going down an early break in the third set she refused to go quietly, loading up on her forehand and fending off a match point as she broke Rybakina in the 10th game to level the set.
A couple of untimely double faults helped ninth-seeded Rybakina break back for a 6-5 lead, but the ninth seed from Kazakhstan was broken to love in the next game, setting the stage for the tiebreak drama.
“After I had that fall I wasn’t in the greatest spirits, but I’m happy that I kept my composure and I was kind of patient in the right moments,” said Mboko, who won the last three points of a decider she called “stressful.”
“Anything can happen,” an exhausted Mboko beamed as the crowd’s cheers rained down on her.
“Unfortunately I fell, but I had everyone supporting me and pushing me.”
Mboko started the season ranked outside the top 300 but had worked her way up to 85th coming into the week by grinding away in lower-level tournaments.
She is assured of breaking into the top 40 no matter the result against Osaka, a former world number one who has struggled to find consistency since returning from maternity leave in 2024 after more than a year away.
Osaka has looked re-energized this week after a coaching shakeup and rolled through the first set against Tauson.
But Tauson twice regained a break in the second set as she pushed it to the tiebreaker where she had chances to level the match after taking a 6-4 lead.
Unable to convert her set points, the Dane saved one match point to make it 7-7, but Osaka won the next two to seal the victory and reach her first final in a WTA 1000 level event since Miami in 2022.
“Definitely really happy,” said Osaka, who started the week ranked 49th in the world. “(I’m) excited to play my first hard court final back.”
Osaka, whose performance so far this week means she’s assured of rising high enough in the rankings to be seeded at the US Open later this month, was bracing for a tough match against a player who said in a youthful interview that she idolized the Japanese star.
“I watched her play today because they were the match in front of us. I thought it was really impressive how she stayed calm,” said Osaka, adding that Mboko’s rebound from match point down was “really impressive for an 18-year-old.”
Osaka books WTA Montreal title clash with Canadian teen Mboko
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Osaka books WTA Montreal title clash with Canadian teen Mboko
- Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko booked a championship showdown with gritty semifinal wins on Wednesday in the WTA Canadian Open in Montreal
Emirates NBA Cup forming ‘its own identity’, as final 8 teams advance
- NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones say players now “understand the value” of the competition
DUBAI: The Emirates NBA Cup continues to gather pace in its second showing, with eight teams advancing to the knockout rounds and league executives highlighting strong global interest, including significant growth in the Middle East.
The quarterfinal lineup features the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. The quarterfinals begin on Dec. 9, followed by the semifinals on Dec. 13 and the championship game on Dec. 16, with both the semifinals and final hosted in Las Vegas.
The Emirates NBA Cup was established in 2023 and its first two events were won by the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.
A tournament that has changed perceptions
League officials say the Cup has quickly established itself as a competitive focal point in the early months of the season. James Jones, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said players now approach the event with far stronger investment than during its launch year.
He explained that although the Cup concept felt unfamiliar at first, its structure and stakes have now become part of the league’s competitive rhythm.
“Once the players began to understand the concept of the Cup, they became excited because it created enhanced competition. The Cup has started to form its own identity. There are multiple ways to win: You can win the Cup, and you can also win the NBA Championship. There is nothing better than having two trophies in one season.”
Growing audiences in the Middle East
Interest in the Emirates NBA Cup continues to rise across international markets. Jones highlighted the Middle East as one of the fastest-growing regions for viewership, with Abu Dhabi’s consistent NBA presence playing a central role. The UAE capital hosted preseason games each year from 2022 to 2025, building a strong regional fan base and elevating awareness of the league.
“Viewership continues to soar,” he said. “Everyone was waiting to see how the league and the players would respond to the Cup, and now they can see that we are fully invested. Our global games, particularly in Abu Dhabi, have made the NBA more familiar to fans in the region. The growth over the last five years has been remarkable.”
This year’s knockout rounds feature several marquee names, including LeBron James and Luka Doncic, with the Lakers, Kevin Durant with the Suns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Oklahoma City and Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks, among others. Their presence has lifted international engagement as the tournament approaches its decisive stages.
“Big names definitely boost viewership, and their presence also raises the level of competition,” Jones said. “The Cup gives young players a platform to show how good they are. Those moments usually only happen in the playoffs, but now we see them in December.”
McGrady: Cup brings playoff pressure earlier in the season
NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady shared a similar sentiment, praising the Emirates NBA Cup for giving developing teams valuable postseason-style exposure.
“It gives those bottom-feed teams that are struggling to put a roster together, to build a team and make a run to the playoffs, a chance to feel that playoff atmosphere again,” McGrady said. “Because it is in-season, it raises the competitive nature of the league.”
“In terms of competition, it is very competitive, and that is what we want.”
As the quarterfinals tip off on Dec. 9 and the semifinals draw closer in Las Vegas, the Emirates NBA Cup continues to establish itself as one of the most influential features of the NBA calendar, shaping early-season momentum and giving fans a December preview of the intensity usually reserved for the NBA playoffs in spring.
