🎾 Roland Garros R1: Lulu Sun vs Victoria Mboko

🎾 Roland Garros R1: Lulu Sun vs Victoria Mboko – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🇳🇿 Lulu Sun
🌱 Roland Garros debut: This is her main-draw debut in Paris, having now qualified for all four Grand Slams.
🎾 Wimbledon breakout: Reached QF as a qualifier in 2024, shocking world No. 8 Zheng Qinwen along the way.
📉 2025 struggles: Holds a 5–9 record in first-round matches this season; nine opening-round exits in 14 tournaments.
⏳ Surface mismatch: Clay has never been her strongest suit, winning just 3 of her 7 clay matches heading into Paris.
🇨🇦 Victoria Mboko
🔥 Surging on clay: Qualified with dominant straight-set wins—didn't drop more than 8 games in a match, including a win over Kaja Juvan.
🎓 Junior prodigy turned pro: Former world No. 6 in juniors, with Grand Slam semifinal appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open.
🚀 2025 breakout: Five ITF titles and a WTA 125K runner-up in Parma. Recently defeated Wang Xinyu (top 50) for a career-best win.
📈 Confidence high: Has won 10 of her last 12 matches on clay and is pushing toward a top-100 debut.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Mboko enters this contest with form, momentum, and clay-court pedigree firmly on her side. Her baseline aggression, heavy topspin, and movement are all well-suited for European dirt, and her win over Wang Xinyu proves she can handle tour-level competition. Lulu Sun has a more attacking style that flourishes on faster courts but is less reliable on clay, where her shot tolerance and movement are more exposed. Despite her Wimbledon heroics and Monterrey final last season, her 2025 results—particularly on clay—leave room for doubt. Expect Mboko to dictate tempo and extend rallies, forcing Sun into uncomfortable positions. Unless the Kiwi finds her A-game on serve and finishes points quickly, this could become one-way traffic.

🔮 Prediction

Lulu Sun has a higher tour-level pedigree, but current form and surface advantage clearly favor the teenager. Mboko looks poised to notch her first Grand Slam main-draw win. 🧩 Prediction: Mboko in 2 sets. Her form on clay and aggressive composure should outmatch Sun’s inconsistency on the surface.