Lulu Sun, ranked No. 123 in the world, has become the first Texas Longhorn woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Sun, who had to win three qualifying matches to enter the Wimbledon women’s field, defeated Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu in a thrilling three-set match on Centre Court, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday.
Sun, born in Te Anau, New Zealand, has a rich international background. She moved to Switzerland at age five and has connections to China, Croatia, and Germany. Representing New Zealand, Sun has been steadily improving, winning seven consecutive matches in her debut at Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old, who played one year of collegiate tennis for the Longhorns in 2020-21, expressed her emotions after the match, saying, “I had to fight tooth and nail against her. She’s obviously going to run to every ball and fight until the end, so I’m just incredibly — I don’t even have the words right now.”
Sun’s victory over Raducanu came after she saved a match point in the second round of the qualifying tournament and defeated higher-ranked opponents, including Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen. She credited her aggressive play for the win, striking 52 winners and winning 23 of 28 net points.
Sun’s journey at Wimbledon has already earned her more money than her entire professional career, with at least $480,000 in winnings. If she wins her next match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic, ranked No. 37, she will earn $750,000.
Sun, who graduated with a degree in International Relations and Global Studies from the University of Texas, feels at home on the grass courts of Wimbledon. She has drawn inspiration from tennis legends like Roger Federer and Steffi Graf to hone her grass-court skills.
Reflecting on her journey, Sun said, “To reach the quarterfinals, I think it’s a major step because it brings inspiration and it brings to all the players in New Zealand something to look up to — not just for myself, but as the country as a whole.”
Now splitting her time between Miami and Slovakia, where her coach is based, Sun is excited about the support she’s receiving worldwide. “I feel the energy from people around the world. I’m super grateful from wherever it’s coming from,” she smiled.
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