Saskatchewan tennis players say they're inspired by Victoria Mboko, ready to shine at Canada Games

Victoria Mboko's win at the National Bank Open has helped galvanize a new generation of Saskatchewan tennis players, and they're eager to showcase their talents at this week's Canada Games.

On Aug. 8 the 18-year-old Mboko defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 female tennis player, Naomi Osaka, in the final match of the National Bank Open. Mboko is now ranked the 24th best female tennis player in the world according to the Women's Tennis Association. 

The win was celebrated across the country as a milestone for Canadian tennis, and set the stage for the tennis competitions at this week's Canada Games in St. John's.

Saskatchewan has sent eight tennis players to the Canada Games, ranging from ages 12 to 17. Seven are from Regina, and the eighth is from Saskatoon.

Team Saskatchewan won their first match against Manitoba on Sunday afternoon, winning a combination singles and doubles match 5-1. 

The team's coach, Denise Fernandez, said she was extremely proud of Mboko's win, and that she set a positive example for Saskatchewan's team.

"The fact that she's only 18, at least our juniors, they can relate because she's not that much older than they are," she said.

Canada's Victoria Mboko wins the National Bank Open

Mboko won the 2022 and 2023 Saskatoon Challenger tournament in Saskatoon, which Fernandez says allowed younger Saskatchewan players to see her up close.

"I've seen her play, I've known some of her coaches, so I know how much work goes into that. And she's a pretty determined kid," she said.

Seventeen-year-old Michael Liu and 14-year-old Anna Klemmer, both from Regina, are on Saskatchewan's eight-player team in St. John's. They both say they feel inspired by Mboko.

"It's a great feeling to see that