Canada’s Victoria Mboko celebrates beating New Zealand’s Lulu Sun during their first round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Canada’s Victoria Mboko serves against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun during their first round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
New Zealand’s Lulu Sun plays a return to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini during the 3rd round at the WTA Master 1000 Internazionali d’Italia tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, Thursday May 8, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Canada’s Victoria Mboko returns the ball to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun during their first round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
French Open: Canadian teen Victoria Mboko wins her first Grand Slam match and looks for more
PARIS (AP) 鈥 Victoria Mboko is still just 18, still rather new to the top level of professional tennis, and yet with a big serve, a terrific backhand and enviable court coverage, the Canadian is making the most of her first season on tour, including a victory in her Grand Slam debut on Sunday at the French Open.
Canada’s Victoria Mboko celebrates beating New Zealand’s Lulu Sun during their first round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
PARIS (AP) 鈥 Victoria Mboko is still just 18, still rather new to the top level of professional tennis, and yet with a big serve, a terrific backhand and enviable court coverage, the Canadian is making the most of her first season on tour, including a victory in her Grand Slam debut on Sunday at the French Open.
When it was mentioned that her 6-1, 7-6 (4) elimination of 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun meant Mboko has claimed all eight sets she鈥檚 played over the past week-plus on the red clay at Roland-Garros 鈥 including six in a trio of triumphs in the qualifying rounds 鈥 the teen laughed, revealing the braces on her teeth.
鈥淭his does, obviously, feel really quick for me. Although it feels quick, I feel like I鈥檓 also adapting very quickly. I want to be in this level,鈥 said Mboko, represented by talent agency IMG since the age of 12. 鈥淭o adapt really fast is really important to me. The more I feel like I make it seem normal to me, the more normal it鈥檚 going to be in these tournaments.鈥
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Against the left-handed Sun, Mboko鈥檚 serve 鈥 which she considers her game鈥檚 greatest strength 鈥 played a significant role in the outcome.
With her father and two of her older siblings in the stands at Court 9, a short walk from Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Mboko reached a top speed of 115 mph and delivered seven aces. She won all 10 of her service games, saving all seven break points accumulated by Sun.
鈥淚 love to dictate points on my serve, and I love to use that as an opportunity to be more aggressive and be up in the score,鈥 said Mboko, who is currently ranked 120th. 鈥淓specially in women鈥檚 tennis, having a good serve and holding all the time is pretty crucial. It helps me get out of a lot of sticky situations.鈥
Her favorite player as a kid 鈥 not all that long ago, actually 鈥 was Serena Williams, whose 23 Grand Slam titles often came with the help of top-notch serving.
鈥淚 always modeled myself on the idea of her game. Of course, not everything I do is the same. But she had such a powerful game, and that鈥檚 something that I would love to replicate and love to present my game off of that,鈥 Mboko said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have a role model like that and try to do something like she did.鈥
Mboko began to really get noticed in the world of tennis at the start of this year, when she won 22 matches in a row 鈥 all in straight sets 鈥 to earn four lower-level International Tennis Federation titles. Her first WTA match arrived at the Miami Open in March, and she won that debut, too.
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She鈥檚 been impressing opponents along the way, including . Mboko pushed the American, who is ranked No. 2 right now, to three sets on clay at the Italian Open this month.
鈥淪he鈥檚 playing top-level tennis,鈥 Gauff said after that win. 鈥淔or sure, on the movement, I would say she鈥檚 up there with me on that. As far as the other parts of her game, she鈥檚 obviously a big hitter, can play well, moves pretty well, has a nice backhand, same on the forehand.鈥
Mboko grew up playing mostly on indoor hard courts in Canada and calls that her 鈥渇avorite surface for my whole life.鈥
That said, she鈥檚 starting to get used to 鈥 and enjoy 鈥 the clay used at the French Open.
鈥淚n the future? I guess we鈥檒l see. You never know. I feel like I鈥檝e been doing pretty OK on the clay so far, even though it was my least favorite surface and I thought it was my worst surface, too,鈥 Mboko said. 鈥淏ut you never know.鈥
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP鈥檚 tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:
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