Victoria Mboko of Burlington, Ontario reached the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg but fell to American Emma Navarro 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday. The loss marked Mboko's second WTA final of 2026, following her runner-up finish at the Qatar Open in February.
How did Mboko reach the final?
Mboko entered Strasbourg as the No. 1 seed and received a bye to the second round. She defeated Lois Boisson of France 6-4, 6-3 in the second round, then beat fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Mboko outlasted Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to her third semifinal of the year.
What was the significance of the Fernandez matchup?
The all-Canadian quarterfinal between Mboko and Fernandez was only the second time in tournament history that a Canadian reached the Strasbourg final. In 1987, Carling Bassett-Seguso of Toronto won the title, defeating Sandra Cecchini of Italy 6-3, 6-4. Fernandez, seeded No. 7, had battled past Magdalena Frech 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round before losing to Mboko.
What comes next for Mboko?
Mboko will compete at Roland Garros as one of five Canadians in singles action. The others are Fernandez, Félix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal, Gabriel Diallo of Montreal, and Denis Shapovalov of Toronto. Mboko is ranked No. 9 in the PIF WTA Rankings with a 22-8 record. She has been working with coach Wim Fissette, who previously coached Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, and Naomi Osaka. Diallo opens French Open play on Sunday against Australian James Duckworth on Court 12.
Sources
- Canadian Sport Scene: Victoria Mboko reaches the final of 2026 Strasbourg International. Published 2026-05-23.
- Women's Tennis Association: Mboko, Fernandez set all-Canadian quarterfinal meeting in Strasbourg. Published 2026-05-19.
- Women's Tennis Association: 'I want to win a Grand Slam': Mboko already has the endgame in mind. Published 2026-05-25.
- beIN SPORTS: Mboko reaches Strasbourg semis following victory over Fernandez. Published 2026-05-21.
- NanaimoNewsNOW: Mboko, Dabrowski earn mixed results at Strasbourg International tennis tournament. Published 2026-05-23.
Reported from public sources.