2025 has been forward step after forward step for Victoria Mboko. Now she has a chance to take two big ones in the span of two weeks.
Last week, she reached the biggest final of her career to-date and over the coming days, she is looking to punch her ticket to her first Grand Slam main draw.
Here’s what you need to know.
Under the Radar: Mboko Reaches Biggest Final before Roland-Garros
Victoria Mboko has looked right at home on the European clay this spring. After qualifying for the Italian Open, picking up her first WTA Tour main draw match win on clay, and then pushing the world No. 3 to three sets in Rome, the Canadian teen kept up the momentum at the WTA 125 event in Parma, Italy.
All of Mboko’s previous 11 professional singles finals had come on the ITF circuit, the biggest being a W75 in March in Porto, Portugal. She broke new ground in Northern Italy, reaching the biggest final of her career so far at the Parma Ladies Open, her first WTA 125 final.
On her way to the title match, she beat four opponents all ranked above her, including a Top 50 win over second seed Xinyu Wang in the quarter-finals. World No. 64 Mayar Sheriff stopped the teen’s run in the final 6-4, 6-4.
Now Mboko is on to Paris where she will try to qualify for a Grand Slam main draw for the first time. She picked up her first win on Tuesday, defeating Sinja Kraus of Austria in straight sets.
Read also: Gabriel Diallo Coming Full Circle at Roland-Garros
Four Canadians advanced to the second round of qualifying. Bianca Andreescu was the star in Paris on Monday, delivering a double bagel in her first-round match against Xinxin Yao. Carson Branstine and Marina Stakusic are also through to round two, although they are projected to face each other in the third round meaning only one of them can qualify.
Four other Canadians, including the only two men competing in qualifying, lost their first-round matches. Liam Draxl, Alexis Galarneau, Rebecca Marino, and Kayla Cross all fell at the first hurdle.
CLICK HERE to read more about the early Canadian results from Roland-Garros qualifying.
While Mboko was unable to grab a title over the weekend, a gang of Canadian men did on the ITF circuit back on this side of the Atlantic.
The Canadians cleaned up at the ITF M15 event in Orlando Florida. Kuang Qing Xu won the singles title, the first professional singles title of his career, while the all-Canadian tandem of Nicolas Arseneault and Dan Martin won the doubles.
Xu got in as a qualifier and took out both his countrymen, Arseneault and the top-seeded Martin, on his way to the title. He capped it off with a three-set win over eighth seed Victor Lilov.
Arseneault and Martin dropped just one set in the doubles and beat the first and second seeds back-to-back in the semis and final. The victory is Arseneault’s first as a pro.
South of the Rio Grande, Juan Carlos Aguilar denied the other Arseneault twin, Mikael, of a title at the M25 in Xalapa, Mexico. Aguilar and Pranav Kumar defeated Arseneault and Axel Nefve in the doubles final. The win is Aguilar’s fourth ITF doubles title already in 2025.
The ITF Masters 60+, 65+, and 70+ World Team Championships took place last week in Palm Beach, Florida. Canada had teams in all three age groups for both the men and women but failed to medal. All three men’s teams lost in the quarter-finals, as did the 65+ women’s squad. The individual championships are taking place this week.
In Case You Missed It: Quiet Finish to Rome
Only two Canadians made it to the second week of the Italian Open and their stays in Rome were short.
Bianca Andreescu had a strong run in the Eternal City, reaching the fourth round at a WTA 1000 event for the first time in over two years. Her stay came to an end in the last sixteen at the hands of Qinwen Zheng.
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe got off the slide at the big events in Rome, reaching their first quarter-final of the year at the WTA 1000 level. They lost in the last eight to Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.
Click here for more news and results from the ATP and WTA Tours.
What to Watch: Final Prep for FAA
Félix Auger-Aliassime is back in action this week after missing Rome with an injury. He finally scored his first clay win of 2025 on Tuesday in Hamburg, beating Daniel Altmaier in straight sets.
The Canadian is seeded sixth at the ATP 500 event. In round two, he will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Top seed Alexander Zverev looms in the quarter-finals. Top seed Alexander Zverev looms in the quarter-finals.
Gabriela Dabrowski is also getting some last-minute prep in ahead of the French Open. She and Erin Routliffe are the top seeds at the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg. They are already through to the semifinals where they will face Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani.
Leylah Annie Fernandez competed in singles in Strasbourg but lost in the first round to Diane Parry.
You can follow the Canadians in action every week here.
Feature Photo : @meftennisevents
