Mboko has played so much tennis this season for one reason — because she wins and wins and wins some more. She’s just doing it on ever-bigger stages. In addition to Osaka and Rybakina, she beat world No. 2 Coco Gauff and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin on the way to the title.

Victoria Mboko didn’t even have a picture on the WTA website before the National Bank Open in Montreal. Now, the 18-year-old is set to face Naomi Osaka in the first WTA final of her career.

Osaka has made progress since returning in last year's Australian Open. She won two matches in both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, has earned $725,727 in prize money and reached the No. 49 spot in the WTA rankings, with a higher ranking likely on the way by making the final.