Ben Shelton was battling for his first Masters 1000 title when the Toronto crowd suddenly erupted in celebration. The 22-year-old American looked completely confused – he was in the middle of the biggest match of his career against Karen Khachanov, and fans were going wild for no apparent reason.
It turns out they weren’t cheering for him at all.
The crowd had been following Victoria Mboko’s incredible victory in Montreal on their phones. The 18-year-old Canadian had just won her first WTA title on home soil, stunning her childhood idol Naomi Osaka in an amazing comeback.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Shelton | 23 | 2,590 | 19 - 11 |
Shelton had no clue what was happening. The noise was so loud that when umpire Fergus Murphy tried to shout an explanation, Shelton couldn’t hear him over the celebration.
He had to walk over to the umpire’s chair to find out why everyone was suddenly losing their minds.
From confusion to celebration
Once Shelton understood what happened, he could refocus on his own historic moment. And boy, did he need to focus – things weren’t going well.
He’d just blown a 5-3 lead in the first-set tiebreak, losing the final four points in pretty devastating fashion. That’s a mountain to climb against someone like Khachanov.
But Shelton showed exactly why he’s considered one of tennis’s rising stars.
He fought back to win 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in a match that came down to the finest of margins. There were only three breaks of serve in the entire match, and Shelton’s ability to stay clinical in the deciding moments made all the difference.
Both players produced some really high-quality, attacking tennis throughout. The fact they managed to maintain that level even after the crowd disruption made it even more impressive.
Mboko’s moment steals the show
While Shelton’s first Masters title was pretty amazing, Mboko’s triumph in Montreal was the story that captured everyone’s imagination.
The teenager didn’t just win her first WTA title – she did it at home, as a wild card, beating some of the biggest names in tennis along the way.
Her path to victory included wins over Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina before that stunning comeback against Osaka in the final. She lost the first set 2-6, then completely turned things around to win 6-4, 6-1.
Mboko became just the fifth wild card since 1990 to win a WTA 1000 event. The last one? Fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu at Indian Wells back in 2019.
That’s why the Toronto crowd couldn’t contain themselves. This was a moment Canadian tennis fans had been waiting for.
The future looks really bright
What happened that day in Toronto perfectly captures where tennis is heading.
You’ve got Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz leading the men’s game at just 23 and 22 years old. But right behind them are players like Shelton, Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti, and Jack Draper – all hungry to break through.
The women’s side is equally exciting.
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are battling for the top spot, while Gauff just won her second Grand Slam at the French Open. Then you’ve got rising stars like Mboko and 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva already making their mark.
Tennis fans have a lot to look forward to. These players aren’t just the future of the sport – they’re already making history right now.
