Looks like Victoria Mboko‘s comeback journey will take longer than anticipated. The 19-year-old Canadian is still recovering from the knee injury she sustained at the Queen’s Club Championships, which cut short her grass-court season. It now apparently has dented her North American hard-court swing as well.

“Some tournaments mean a little more than others”, said Mboko in an official announcement on Instagram. “But the @nbotoronto 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 forward to.  I am sharing this message with you because it is part of my journey, one that has just started. I will be back…!”

Mboko’s withdrawal from the National Bank Open stems from the injury she sustained in her singles match against Karolina Pliskova at the Queens Club after a brutal fall on the slippery grass. This led to a Medial Collateral Ligament in her left knee, knocking her out of the tournament. However, the withdrawal had broader implications, as Mboko was Serena Williams’s doubles partner, who was making her much-anticipated return to the sport after an almost 4-year retirement. Mboko’s injury halted both her and Williams’ progress, much to the disappointment of the organizers and fans, especially after the much-hyped pair made a winning start to their campaign.

The injury already sidelined Mboko from Wimbledon, underscoring its severity. However, with the Canadian Open withdrawal, it is evident that there is still a decent way to go in terms of recovery. MCL injury recovery times are dependent on the grade of injury sustained, with Grade 1 MCL injuries taking one to three weeks to heal, Grade 2 taking four to six weeks to recover, and Grade 3 often taking almost three months to heal completely.

Given that it has been almost a month since Mboko got injured and she has already withdrawn from the National Bank Open, it is highly probable that the injury is either a Grade 2 or 3, which could put her US Open participation in jeopardy as well. However, her injury at Queens was not in isolation, as other players like Alexandra Eala and Emma Raducanu also had their on-court falls, slipping on the grass. The opening day of Wimbledon saw French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska take a fall on match point, which saw the Pole get knocked out of the competition.

Mboko’s withdrawal from the Canadian Open is a blow to the organizers, as the Canadian’s presence would help draw the local crowd. More at stake, though, is her ranking points as she was the defending champion.

Victoria Mboko Won Her Maiden Title at Her Home Event Last Year

The Canadian Open holds a special place for Mboko not only because it is her home event, but also because this is the event where the Canadian announced herself to the world. Getting a wildcard for the tournament, the then 18-year-old had confident wins over the likes of Kimberly Birrell, Sofia Kenin, and Marie Bouzkova. However, she really made everyone sit up and take notice when she beat top-seeded Coco Gauff in the fourth round, followed by a victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the quarterfinals.

Mboko then had a thrilling three-set win over Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, after which she faced Naomi Osaka. The atmosphere was electric as the home favorite faced off against the four-time Grand Slam Champion and former World No.1. Cheered on by the home crowd, the young Canadian made a brilliant comeback after losing the first set, winning her maiden WTA title.

Not playing at the event this year will mean that Mboko will drop 1000 points from her tally. Currently, she sits in 10th with 3670 points, and with the points drop, she will definitely be out of the Top 10 and, depending on the results of other players, might be in danger of dropping out of the Top 20 as well. The injury was a disappointment for Mboko, who had carried her form from last year into this season, already reaching three Tour-level finals, including another WTA 1000 final in Qatar, where she lost to Karolina Muchova.