La pression n'existe pas dans le lexique de Victoria Mboko. La Canadienne n'a pas encore soufflé ses 19 bougies qu'elle a remporté un match dans le grand tableau de Roland-Garros. Sortie des qualifications, la native de Charlotte a déroulé contre Lulu Sun (6-1, 7-6(4)). Très prometteuse, elle continue de crever l'écran. En conférence de presse après sa victoire, elle a évoqué ses inspirations, entre Serena Williams et Bianca Andreescu, qui selon elle, a "inspiré tous les Canadiens".
« Le tennis, partout & toujours ici », sur
https://www.tennisactu.net / Tennis Actu
« Le tennis, partout & toujours ici », sur
https://www.tennisactu.net / Tennis Actu
Catégorie
🥇
SportTranscription
00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30Je suis super content right now et je suis super happy avec le way que j'ai joué, et je peux continuer à faire le même chose.
00:42Hi there, Victoria. David Law from The Tennis Podcast.
00:45Je voulais dire que si nous avions une année et suggérons que vous avez ce niveau de réussir dans l'espace de l'année,
00:55would that have been a surprise to you?
00:58Yeah, 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
01:04and I didn't really have a consistent tournament plan and training schedule.
01:10So, I mean, to be playing a lot of matches this year and to be doing what I've been doing so far,
01:18it's something that I would have never thought I would have done last year.
01:21So, I mean, I'm just very excited for myself and I just feel really happy to even be here.
01:28It's such a blessing to be playing without pain and playing freely.
01:35Hi, congratulations.
01:37You might have quite a tricky schedule because you went to Japan, Tokyo for the BJK Cup
01:44and maybe less time for preparation for this Tokyo season.
01:52So, can you talk about how you managed to do this, you know, tough schedule?
01:59And quick question, is your English your mother tongue or French or?
02:05Yeah.
02:05Thank you.
02:06So, English is my mother tongue.
02:08I grew up speaking English and went to English school.
02:13So, referring back to your first question, yeah.
02:17So, playing in Japan, I mean, it was my first also Billie Jean King Cup experience with Canada.
02:24It was a little bit out of the way for us, I'm going to admit, because, I mean, in Asia it's so far
02:29and it's not the same format as a normal tournament.
02:33So, I didn't really have enough time to play on the clay or practice a lot on the clay before playing these tournaments.
02:41But, it's not something that I really regret because I was happy to do so.
02:49And, I mean, I got some warm-up tournaments anyways at the end before Roland Garros, which is okay with me.
02:58And, yeah.
03:01Congratulations.
03:01You said there's a lot of emotions around this match.
03:05Just curious, how were you feeling before your first ever Grand Slam main draw match
03:09and also what it's been like just to be here at this stage?
03:13I know you had that in Rome, obviously, you had that first experience at the highest level.
03:18But, yeah, how does that compare?
03:21Yeah, well, I mean, I feel like before the match I didn't really feel that nervous, to be honest.
03:26I think, well, Lulu, I mean, she's a really great player and I knew I had to bring some good tennis out today.
03:32But, although I did have, I did play the qualies, so I had kind of three more matches on her over here.
03:39So, I mean, before playing the match today, I kind of just took it like as this is another match.
03:45You don't focus on the Grand Slam.
03:47And, of course, it's a really big deal for me.
03:49But I tried to kind of trick my brain into thinking that it wasn't such a big deal.
03:55And, you know, you're just playing another match.
03:57It's just another tournament.
03:58And it helped me kind of calm down and have less stress levels, I guess, before playing my match.
04:04Matt?
04:08Hi, Victoria.
04:09Obviously, a lot of people around the world are now starting to hear about you and get to know your story.
04:16Who were some of your idols or your heroes as a player growing up?
04:21And is there anyone who you kind of modeled your game on or who you would compare your game style to?
04:29Yeah, so, I mean, I feel like when I was a lot younger and watching tennis a lot on TV, I always saw Serena kind of winning everything.
04:36So, I mean, it was really easy for me to just look up to her as a role model.
04:41And she was, I mean, such an icon at the time.
04:43So, I really loved the way she used to play.
04:46And when I was younger, I tried to, like, hit like her and tried to hit the ball hard.
04:53I mean, she's such an inspiration for so many girls out there and not only just me.
04:59But, I mean, also, I think I looked up a little bit to Bianca Andreescu when she won the U.S. Open in 2019.
05:07She was the first Canadian to do so.
05:09So, I mean, for a lot of us back home, it was really a big deal for us.
05:13And it was such an inspiring experience for everyone in Canada.
05:19And it kind of changed a little bit the way things work there.
05:23Do you mind?
05:24Do you mind again?
05:25How much have you spoken then with Bianca?
05:30And has she given you any advice at all?
05:34Yeah.
05:34So, I mean, sometimes I'll see her in, like, the locker room and we'll have a quick chit-chat here and there.
05:39You know, I mean, I always have her number.
05:41And I know I could always reach out and ask for advice.
05:45She's a very nice girl.
05:47And she's very friendly and open.
05:49And so, I mean, I'm really happy to have her there, to just ask for some advice here and there sometimes.
05:55It's always nice to have that.
05:58Okay.
05:58We'll go.
05:59How are the steps in David's college?
06:01Hi.
06:02You mentioned at the start injuries last year.
06:06Can I ask what that was?
06:09Yeah.
06:09I mean, I had a knee injury.
06:12I mean, it kind of was happening a lot even when I was younger because I was growing really fast
06:17and eventually it kept bothering me and kept reoccurring.
06:21But, you know, I've been having a good plan for, like, recovery and, like, prevention
06:27so that the problems, they don't come or turn out as much.
06:33So, I mean, I've been dealing with it pretty fine now and I'm happy that it's been going well for me
06:39and I feel physically well.
06:41And is there anything that's, it's early, but anything that's surprised you or in a good way, a bad way, whatever,
06:51something you didn't expect about being in the main draw at a Grand Slam tournament so far?
06:56Well, I didn't expect the whole thing, honestly.
06:58I mean, even to be here and playing the, even the qualities, I was so excited, I mean, to be in a Grand Slam for the first ever time.
07:07I mean, I remember coming here as a junior and watching the older girls play and it was, it was such a great experience.
07:14I mean, I'm happy I experienced it in the, in the juniors so that it kind of prepared me for the professional level.
07:21But, yeah, I mean, the whole thing is honestly kind of a surprise, but, I mean, now I'm here that I feel like I can,
07:28I can do some, something with it and make the most of it.
07:35Putting aside Billie Jean King Cup, has there ever been a time where you had so many people watching you,
07:43like your family members, that the older dude who stood up on every single point, all the Tennis Canada people?
07:48I mean, is that, is that a good thing or a, whoa, there's a lot of people counting on me here type of thing?
07:55Yeah, it's obviously nice to have a lot of people coming to my match and supporting,
08:00but at the end of the day, I'm, I'm always really focused on the match and I, I never,
08:05I never really paid attention to, to who's in the crowd or, honestly,
08:09sometimes I don't even know some people were in the crowd because I'm so invested in the match.
08:14But, yeah, I mean, I like, I like having a lot of people watching my match.
08:19I think the first time I've had so many people watch my match was the first time I played in Toronto in the Qualies
08:25because there was just so many Canadian supporters coming out to, to come and cheer for me.
08:30But, yeah, I mean, the higher I play the level, the more people are going to come.
08:34So, I'm, I'm pretty used to it now and it's, it's honestly great.
08:38During the second set, I think you were 2-3 down and there was a game that was about 10 juices long.
08:48It seemed to go on forever.
08:50I just wondered, in terms of the way you approach a situation like that,
08:54where you felt pressure, I guess, mainly for the first time in the match,
08:58do you prefer to really try to go after the ball and, and, and win it on your terms?
09:03Or do you maybe try to be a little more consistent in those situations?
09:08Yeah, I mean, in that, that situation, I mean, I felt Lulu was playing pretty great tennis.
09:14And, uh, some points I was kind of being too passive.
09:18And then the next point I would try to be more aggressive on it.
09:21But I think at the end, when I came to win the game, I found the, the neutral in it.
09:27I had to be constructive and eventually be more aggressive towards the end of the point.
09:33And, uh, yeah, I mean, she was, she was playing really great that game.
09:37So I, I think for me to come back and, and get that game was a very crucial point in the match for me
09:43because it could have, she could have been up 4-2 and that would, she could have been a breakup.
09:47So, uh, yeah, it was, it was a very tough game for me.
09:51I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I