ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2025

Victoria Mboko

Press Conference

V. MBOKO/L. Sun

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Victoria, talk us through your experience today, your first main-draw match in a slam, and talk about the win today.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, so, I mean, it's been my first Grand Slam ever, so there's a lot of emotions going on.

I'm also just very excited to be here, to qualify, honestly just to win my first round in the main draw.

Yeah, I'm super content right now and I'm super happy with the way I've been playing. Hopefully I can continue on doing the same thing (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. If we were to go back a year and suggest to you that you would have this degree of success in the space of a year, would that have been a surprise to you?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I mean, it would have definitely been a bit of a surprise because, you know, I was struggling with a lot of injuries last year. I didn't really have a consistent tournament plan and training schedule.

I mean, to be playing a lot of matches this year, to be doing what I've been doing so far, it's something that I would have never thought I would have done last year.

So, I mean, I'm just very excited for myself, and I just feel really happy to even be here. It's such a blessing to be playing without pain and playing freely.

Q. You might have quite like a tricky schedule because you went to Japan, Tokyo, for BJK Cup, maybe less time for preparation for this clay court season. Can you talk about how you managed to do this tough schedule? And is English your mother tongue or French?

VICTORIA MBOKO: So English is my mother tongue. I grew up speaking English and went to English school.

So referring back to your first question, yeah, so playing in Japan, it was my first also Billie Jean King Cup experience with Canada. It was a little bit out of the way for us, because in Asia it's so far. It's not the same format as a normal tournament. I didn't really have enough time to play on the clay or practice a lot on the clay before playing these tournaments.

It's not something that I really regret because I was happy to do so. I mean, I got some warm-up tournaments anyways at the end before Roland Garros, which is okay with me, yeah.

Q. You said there were a lot of emotions around this match. How were you feeling before your first-ever Grand Slam main draw match? What has it been like to be here at this stage? I know you had in Rome that first experience at the highest level. How does that compare?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, well, I mean, I feel like before the match I didn't really feel that nervous, to be honest. I think, well, Lulu, she's a really great player. I knew I had to bring some great tennis out today. Although I did play the quallies, so I had kind of three more matches over her here.

Before playing the match I just took it as like it's another match, don't focus on the Grand Slam. Of course, it's a really big deal for me, but I tried to kind of trick my brain into thinking it wasn't such a big deal, you know, you're just playing another match, just another tournament. It helped me kind of calm down and have less stress levels I guess before playing my match.

Q. Obviously a lot of people around the world are now starting to hear about you and get to know your story. Who were some of your idols or your heroes as a player growing up? Is there anyone who you kind of modeled your game on or who you would compare your game style to?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I mean, I feel like when I was a lot younger watching tennis a lot on TV, I always saw Serena kind of winning everything. It was easy for me to look up to her as a role model. She was such an icon at the time.

I really loved the way she used to play. When I was younger, I tried to, like, hit like her and tried to hit the ball hard. I mean, she's such an inspiration for so many girls out there. Not only just me.

I mean, also I think I looked up a little bit to Bianca Andreescu when she won the US Open in 2019. She was the first Canadian to do so. So a lot of us back home, it was really a big deal for us. It was such an inspiring experience for everyone in Canada. It kind of changed a little bit the way things worked there.

Q. How much have you spoken with Bianca? Has she given you any advice?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, so, I mean, sometimes I'll see her in, like, the locker room and we'll have a quick chitchat here and there. I always have her number. I know I could always reach out and ask for advice.

She's a very nice girl. She's very friendly and open. I mean, I'm really happy to have her there to just ask for some advice here and there sometimes. It's always nice to have that.

Q. You mentioned at the start injuries last year. Can I ask what that was?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I mean, I had a knee injury. I mean, it kind of was happening a lot even when I was younger 'cause I was growing really fast. Eventually it kept bothering me and kept reoccurring.

But I've been having a good plan for, like, recovery and prevention so that the problems, they don't come or turn out as much.

So, I mean, I've been dealing with it pretty fine now. I'm happy that it's been going well for me. I feel physically well.

Q. It's early, but anything that has surprised you in a good way, bad way, something you didn't expect about being in the main draw at a Grand Slam tournament so far?

VICTORIA MBOKO: I didn't expect the whole thing, honestly. I mean, even to be here and playing even the quallies. I was so excited to be in a Grand Slam for the first ever time.

I mean, I remember coming here as a junior, watching the older girls play. It was such a great experience. I mean, I'm happy I experienced it in the juniors so that it kind of prepared me for the professional level.

Yeah, I mean, the whole thing is honestly kind of a surprise. I mean, now I'm here, I feel like I can do something with it and make the most of it.

Q. Putting aside Billie Jean King Cup, has there ever been a time where you had so many people watching? Family members, the older dude who stood up on every single point, all the Tennis Canada people. Is that a good thing or 'there's a lot of people counting on me here' type of thing?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, it's obviously nice to have a lot of people coming to my match and supporting.

At the end of the day I'm always really focused on the match. I never really paid attention to who's in the crowd. Honestly, sometimes I don't even know some people are in the crowd because I'm so invested in the match.

Yeah, I mean, I like having a lot of people watching my match. I think the first time I've had so many people watch my match was the first time I played in Toronto in the quallies 'cause there was just so many Canadian supporters coming out to come and cheer for me.

But yeah, I mean, the higher I play the level, the more people that are going to come. I'm pretty used to it now. It's honestly great.

Q. During the second set, I think you were 2-3 down. There was a game that was about 10 deuces long. Seemed to go on forever.

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah.

Q. In terms of the way you approach a situation like that, where you felt pressure mainly for the first time in the match, do you prefer to really try to go after the ball and win it on your terms or do you maybe try to be a little bit more consistent in those situations?

VICTORIA MBOKO: Yeah, I mean, in that situation I feel Lulu was playing pretty great tennis. At some points I was being too passive. The next point I would try to be more aggressive on it.

I think at the end when I came to win the game, I found the neutral in it. I had to be constructive and eventually be more aggressive towards the end of the point.

Yeah, I mean, she was playing really great that game. I think for me to come back and get that game was a very crucial point in the match for me because she could have been up 4-2. She could have been a break up, so...

Yeah, it was a very tough game for me.