Victoria Mboko confirmed that she didn't get to speak with Naomi Osaka after the Montreal final and everything that happened on the court but noted that her feelings about the Japanese didn't change at all.
The 18-year-old Canadian, who revealed that Osaka was her idol in one of her interviews, completed a major comeback to beat the four-time Grand Slam winner 2-6 6-4 6-1 in the Montreal final for a maiden WTA 1000 crown.
As you probably know, traditionally, the runner-up speaks before the champion. When Osaka took the microphone, she dropped just a few words and didn't even congratulate Mboko. The act was slammed not only by tennis fans, but by pretty much the entire tennis community. Initially, the former world No. 1 didn't even want to conduct a post-final presser.
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Mboko asked how she felt about Osaka's post-Montreal final actions and behavior
While Osaka was facing some major criticism, Mboko refused say a negative word about her idol. Instead, she defended the 27-year-old.
"No, I didn't really get a chance to speak with her after the game, but I mean, I was kind of really caught up in everything that was happening after the match," the 18-year-old said of the Japanese.
"If that was her wishes, then I respect it as well. I mean, I still think Naomi is an incredible player, and it doesn't ever change what I think of her. I think she's still a really nice girl. I still look up to her. Nothing really changes after the match. I mean, I'm really happy that I was able to win today, but I mean, to play against her was also a really special moment for me."
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Mboko, who entered Montreal ranked at No. 85 in the world, is now a WTA champion and she will also be ranked at No. 24 when the rankings list updates on Monday.
