Mboko's Upset and Shapovalov's Early Exit Mark Contrasting Fortunes for Canadians at Wimbledon

Victoria Mboko seized a significant opportunity on Tuesday. The 18-year-old from Toronto achieved an upset victory, defeating 25th-seed Magdalena Frech of Poland with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round at Wimbledon.

Mboko's entry into the main draw was a late addition, stemming from Anastasia Potapova's withdrawal. Previously, she had narrowly missed qualifying, losing in three sets to Australia's Priscilla Hon in her final qualifying match last Thursday.

In the second set, after Frech leveled the score at 2-2, Mboko dominated, winning four consecutive games. The match concluded with a backhand unforced error from Frech.

Throughout the match, Mboko served two aces and one double fault. She secured 76 percent of her first-serve points and converted two of her six break point opportunities.

In other news, Denis Shapovalov, representing Richmond Hill, Ont., experienced a first-round defeat. He lost to Argentina’s Mariano Navone with a final score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4. Shapovalov struggled, committing 11 double faults and winning only 53 percent of his second-serve points. Navone, ranked No. 41 globally, broke Shapovalov's serve six times during the match. This marks Shapovalov's earliest exit at the All England Club since 2019.

Looking ahead, Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., is scheduled to play Laura Siegemund on Wednesday. Additionally, Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime will face Jan-Lennard Struff, and another Montreal native, Gaby Dabrowski, will compete against No. 5 Taylor Fritz.