Canada’s Mboko withdraws from National Bank Open due to knee injury

TORONTO — Canada’s Victoria Mboko has withdrawn from the National Bank Open due to a knee injury, Tennis Canada said Tuesday.

The 2025 tournament champion was hurt last month in a match against Czechia’s Karolina Pliskova at the HSBC Championships in London. The world No. 10 from Burlington, Ont., said she injured the medial collateral ligament in her left knee and would miss the rest of the grass-court season.

Now her absence will extend to part of the North American hardcourt season as well and prevent the 19-year-old from trying to defend the title she won last year in Montreal.

“Some tournaments mean a little more than others,” Mboko said. “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 as it has been something I’ve been looking so much forward to.”