The ‘Sun’ now is shining bright on the courts of Wimbledon! Paving her way through the qualifiers, WTA star Lulu Sun from New Zealand has come a long way in the ongoing event. While every player faces moments of adversity, hers occurred within her family, where the love for tennis was at stake.
Lulu Sun faced numerous ups and downs on her journey to becoming a professional. Several years ago, she suffered an injury that nearly shattered her dream. During this tough time, her mother stepped in to offer career advice.”She always told us that, yes, sports and whatever you dream of is important, but as well to get that education is important as well,” Sun revealed in an interview.
What do you think was the main reason Lulu Sun put tennis on the backseat?
Pressure from her Chinese mother
This advice prompted Lulu Sun to reconsider her situation, eventually leading to a decision that aligned with her mother’s guidance. Sun decided to attend the University of Texas, which turned out to be a fortunate choice. “With COVID, I was able to do something and to study and finish, which is really good because now I can go 100 percent into my tennis,” the WTA star further added, explaining how she honored her mother’s advice while pursuing her own dream.
Sun’s mother, originally from Hong Kong, always emphasized discipline and the importance of balancing sports with education. Sun’s family moved to Switzerland when she was five, and later she moved alone to the United States to pursue higher education. Reflecting on her upbringing, Sun said, “Chinese obviously from my mum’s side, is very disciplined, hard-working.”
Lulu Sun’s upcoming match at Wimbledon is a significant challenge. Now that she has made it this far, all her efforts could be rewarded with a single victory. Facing Briton Emma Raducanu, Sun sees this as an opportunity to achieve her goals.
Making it to the fourth round at Wimbledon is a rare achievement for any WTA star from New Zealand since 1959. While Lulu Sun has already made her nation proud, the 23-year-old shows no signs of nervousness. In a recent interview, Sun revealed her thoughts on the upcoming match against Emma Raducanu.
“She’s obviously been far in the Grand Slams before and she’s, I’m pretty sure, Wimbledon’s favorite since she’s from here,” Sun said, acknowledging the challenge of playing against the crowd. She sees the match as a great opportunity. “But, I don’t know, playing on Centre and playing against her is an opportunity that I would be happy to play,” she added.
The events at Wimbledon continue to surprise and excite fans. As the crowd’s favorite, Emma Raducanu, prepares to face Lulu Sun, will she be able to overcome the challenge? The match promises to be a thrilling showdown!
