Sun shining bright at SW19! Lulu Sun, the qualifier from New Zealand, has been making headlines with her stellar performances at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated world number 8, Qinwen Zheng, in the first round and has become the first woman representing New Zealand to progress to the R16 of Wimbledon in the Open Era. This is her first full year on the WTA Tour, and she has surprised everyone with her rapid rise. Did you know that an injury once led Lulu Sun to pursue a college education?

Born in New Zealand to a Croatian father and a Chinese mother, Lulu Sun was raised in Switzerland when she was 5 years old. She completed her schooling there before traveling to the US to graduate with a BA in Political Science from the University of Texas.

In 2021, Sun competed at the NCAA DI women’s tennis championships for UT Austin, clinching the match and winning the third-ever NCAA championship for the team. She graduated in 2022 and made her pro debut that same year. Her journey so far has been full of ups and downs!

In 2015, when Lulu Sun was just 14 years old, she became the first player born in 2001 to gain a WTA ranking, ahead of peers like Iga Swiatek, Anastasia Potapova, and Amanda Anisimova. At that time, she saw tennis more for fun rather than as a potential career. She took the game more seriously during the later stages of her junior career and ultimately decided to turn pro, but her mother had other ideas.

“I was lucky” – Lulu Sun looks back at her past

Reflecting on how she changed tracks, Lulu Sun revealed, “After I experienced all the junior Grand Slams I thought I was able to do this, I have a good level and I want to try it out. But my mum said education is important, and she was concerned about how I was going to do my studies if I continued.” She later got injured that year, and her mother asked her to focus on her exams and get into college. That’s how she was introduced to the ‘factory,’ which is known for producing several tennis stars like Peyton Stearns, Lloyd Glasspool, and many more.

Reflecting on how COVID-19 impacted her career, Sun said, “It was great timing. Because then Covid happened. I was able to do my studies at a time when nothing else was happening. I heard from a lot of other players about how the tournaments were [when they came back] and they sounded really not great experiences. So I was lucky to be able to choose.” She made her WTA main draw debut at Rabat in 2022, and Wimbledon 2022 was her first major tournament.

Although she failed in the last round of qualifying that time, this year she looks like a completely different player. The University of Texas is optimistic about Sun’s bright future. Recently, a picture of President Hartzell celebrating her incredible run at Wimbledon is a prime example of that. Lulu Sun will face former world number 10, Emma Raducanu, in the R16, and this will be their first meeting. Can she beat the in-form Brit in her next match and make it to the QF?