Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
by Cassidy McMackon
TORONTO — After her extraordinary win at the National Bank Open in Montreal, 18-year-old tennis sensation Victoria Mboko is being celebrated as a role model for the next generation of Canadian athletes.
The phenom from Burlington, Ont., took the National Bank Open title on Thursday after defeating four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final match.
Read more:
- Tennis Canada issues update on five-year gender equity plan
- Saskatoon martial arts studio empowers women through self-defence
- Sask. government investing over $800K in reintegrating women prisoners
Yosabeth Agonafer of the Alberta-based group Black Girls in Tennis says Mboko’s victory on Canadian soil paves the way for more representation of Black Canadian women in tennis.
She says many girls of colour look up to athletes like Serena and Venus Williams and Coco Gauff, and it’s inspiring to see a Black Canadian player succeed on the world stage.
Doug Burke, president of ACE Tennis and one of Mboko’s coaches during her training days in Burlington, says she is showing younger Canadians of “any colour or upbringing” that it’s possible to achieve the heights of success.
He says it was “overwhelming” to watch the rising star give a “quite outstanding” performance at the tournament.
Read more:
