In a remarkable display of talent, Victoria Mboko celebrated a memorable home victory, while Naomi Osaka made waves for her response in the aftermath.
On Friday, Osaka publicly expressed her remorse to Mboko for neglecting to extend her congratulations after the match.
“I want to send my apologies and heartfelt congratulations to Victoria,” Osaka posted on Threads. “You played phenomenally and have a bright future ahead of you.”
“I realize I missed the chance to congratulate you on the court. To be honest, I was in a bit of a haze…”
Mboko capped off her inspiring Cinderella story on Thursday in Montreal with a stunning 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory, receiving an outpouring of support from the local fans.
Throughout the match, Osaka seemed affected by the crowd’s energy and appeared emotionally overwhelmed during her closing comments.
Few in the tennis world can relate to Mboko’s experiences quite like Osaka. The 27-year-old from Japan turned professional at the age of 15 and achieved her first Grand Slam title by 20, famously defeating Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open.
Both Osaka and Mboko opted to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open on Friday.
