Montreal, August 7, 2025 — Naomi Osaka has stormed into the 2025 National Bank Open final in Montreal, signaling a return to her championship-caliber form ahead of the US Open. The 27-year-old Haitian-Japanese star, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has reached her first WTA 1000 final since 2022, showcasing the power, precision, and mental toughness that once made her world No. 1.
Ranked No. 49 at the start of the tournament, Osaka’s dominant run has propelled her to No. 29 in the live rankings — guaranteeing her first Grand Slam seeding since returning from maternity leave in 2023. She will face 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko in Sunday’s final, a clash set to pit experience against rising talent.
Osaka’s path to the final has been defined by grit and dominance. In the second round, she overcame No. 13 seed Liudmila Samsonova in a dramatic comeback, saving three match points while trailing 6-4, 5-4, 40-15. Unleashing 26 winners and a series of clutch forehands, she claimed a tense 7-6(6) second set before sealing the match 6-3 in the third after two hours and 38 minutes.
She then swept past No. 22 seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 in just 72 minutes, mixing 14 winners with a blistering 125-mph serve. Her fourth-round performance was even more commanding — a 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Anastasija Sevastova in under 50 minutes.
The quarterfinals saw Osaka overpower No. 10 seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-2, firing 12 aces and winning 82% of her first-serve points in just over an hour. In the semifinals against No. 16 seed Clara Tauson, Osaka dominated the first set 6-2 before rallying from 5-2 down in a second-set tiebreak to win 7-6(7), converting four break points along the way.
Her opponent in the final, Victoria Mboko, has been the tournament’s breakout story. Ranked No. 85, the Canadian teen boasts a 52-9 season record and has tallied 41 aces in Montreal. Mboko’s giant-slaying run has included victories over Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin, and defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. With a 45.5% break-point conversion rate and the energy of a home crowd behind her, she poses a formidable challenge.
For Osaka, this final is the culmination of a steady 2025 comeback season. After a third-round retirement at the Australian Open, a French Open loss to Iga Świątek, and a third-round Wimbledon exit, she has shown signs of resurgence, winning the WTA 125 title in Saint-Malo and reaching the Auckland final. Montreal, however, has cemented her as a true contender again.
With the US Open just weeks away, Osaka’s performance in Canada suggests that she’s ready to re-enter the sport’s elite conversation — and perhaps add a fifth Grand Slam to her name.
