PARIS (AP) — 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’s played over the past week-plus on the red clay at Roland-Garros — including six in a trio of triumphs in the qualifying rounds — the teen laughed, revealing the braces on her teeth.
“This does, obviously, feel really quick for me. Although it feels quick, I feel like I’m also adapting very quickly. I want to be in this level,” said Mboko, represented by talent agency IMG since the age of 12. “To adapt really fast is really important to me. The more I feel like I make it seem normal to me, the more normal it’s going to be in these tournaments.”
Against the left-handed Sun, Mboko’s serve — which she considers her game’s greatest strength — 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.
“I 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,” said Mboko, who is currently ranked 120th. “Especially in women’s tennis, having a good serve and holding all the time is pretty crucial. It helps me get out of a lot of sticky situations.”
Her favorite player as a kid — not all that long ago, actually — was Serena Williams, whose 23 Grand Slam titles often came with the help of top-notch serving.
“I 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’s something that I would love to replicate and love to present my game off of that,” Mboko said. “It’s great to have a role model like that and try to do something like she did.”
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 — all in straight sets — 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.
She’s been impressing opponents along the way, including 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff. Mboko pushed the American, who is ranked No. 2 right now, to three sets on clay at the Italian Open this month.
“She’s playing top-level tennis,” Gauff said after that win. “For sure, on the movement, I would say she’s up there with me on that. As far as the other parts of her game, she’s obviously a big hitter, can play well, moves pretty well, has a nice backhand, same on the forehand.”
Mboko grew up playing mostly on indoor hard courts in Canada and calls that her “favorite surface for my whole life.”
That said, she’s starting to get used to — and enjoy — the clay used at the French Open.
“In the future? I guess we’ll see. You never know. I feel like I’ve 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,” Mboko said. “But you never know.”
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)
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)
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)
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
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China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”
He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”
Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”
He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.
Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.
“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.
However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.
The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.
Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.
“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.
Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
