Emerging tennis sensation Victoria Mboko is set to challenge two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round of the US Open.
In other exciting news for Canada, fellow players Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime have drawn favorable first-round matchups in Thursday’s draw as the final Grand Slam of the season approaches.
Turning 19 on Tuesday, the talented Mboko steps onto the hardcourt as the top-ranked Canadian and is seeded 22nd in the women’s draw.
The Toronto teenager made headlines by securing her first WTA tournament title at the 1000-level National Bank Open in Montreal, triumphing over heavyweights such as Coco Gauff, world No. 10 Elena Rybakina, and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka.
Another challenging encounter looms with Krejcikova, who will undoubtedly test Mboko’s skills on the court.
The 29-year-old Czech player, ranked No. 61 in the world, is looking to reclaim her status among the elite, having previously reached No. 2 on February 28, 2022. Her impressive trophy collection includes titles from the 2021 French Open and Wimbledon 2024.
Meanwhile, Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime both have qualifiers lined up for their initial matches.
Fernandez, who dazzled as a runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2021, is seeded 31st in the women’s draw and is enjoying a stellar season that features a recent victory at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Auger-Aliassime, a US Open semifinalist in 2021, seeks to turn around his fortunes after first-round exits in the past two tournaments. With two titles to his name this year, he aims to build on his recent quarterfinal run at the Masters-level Cincinnati Open.
Denis Shapovalov, the men’s 27th seed from Richmond Hill, Ont., will start against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, while 31st seed Gabriel Diallo of Montreal takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur.
Shapovalov, who is also rebounding with two titles this season, hopes to enhance his record after a first-round exit at last year’s US Open. He had a remarkable quarterfinal run in 2020, marking a six-year streak of reaching at least the third round.
In their four previous encounters, Shapovalov and Fucsovics have split wins, with the Canadian emerging victorious in their most recent duel at the Belgrade Open last year.
Diallo impressed in his US Open main-draw debut last year, reaching the third round.
The towering 23-year-old, standing at 6’8″, celebrated his first career victory this year at the Libema Open in the Netherlands, and he is ready to face Dzumhur for the first time.
In qualifying news, Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino edged closer to a main-draw spot with a decisive 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Japan’s Mai Hontama. Marino is set to compete in the final qualifying round on Friday.
Unfortunately, Toronto’s Cadence Brace was eliminated from the second round of qualifying after a close 6-4, 6-4 match against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec. Similarly, Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill faced defeat by Italy’s Lucrezia Stefanini with a score of 6-1, 6-4.
