Victoria Mboko withdraws from National Bank Open due to knee injury
The 19-year-old Canadian tennis star and 2025 champion will miss the Toronto tournament after injuring her left knee at a London competition last month.
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Canada's Victoria Mboko has withdrawn from the National Bank Open due to a left knee injury sustained last month, the tournament announced Tuesday, July 7.
The 19-year-old from Burlington, Ontario, injured her medial collateral ligament competing against Czechia's Karolina Pliskova at the HSBC Championships in London in June. She will miss the rest of the grass-court season and the Toronto hardcourt event set for August 2–13 at Sobeys Stadium.
Mboko was the reigning champion after winning the title last year in Montreal. Her absence means she won't defend at home in front of Toronto crowds — a disappointment she described as deeply personal. "Some tournaments mean a little more than others," she said in a statement. "But the National Bank Open means everything to me. Not being able to play at home this summer in front of the people I love and with the support of the Toronto crowd is deeply disappointing."
Tournament director Karl Hale said the decision was tough to accept. "It's never easy when any player is forced to withdraw due to injury, and it's especially disappointing in Vicky's case because we were all looking forward to watching her title defence in her hometown of Toronto."
Organizers plan to release the full 96-player singles draw on Wednesday, July 8.
