New Zealand’s Lulu Sun will take a break from professional tennis.
The former world number 39 last played a match at Wimbledon, where she lost in the second round of qualifying.
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Now ranked 117th on the WTA Tour, Sun has decided to step away from the sport.
Lulu Sun announces break from professional tennis to prioritise her wellbeing
Sun shared the following message on Instagram.
“Hi guys, I wanted to take a bit of your time to share something personal with you,” she said.
“In professional tennis, as in life, there is constant pressure to perfect oneself. The physical and mental demands of a competition schedule are relentless and can impact your life in more ways than one.
“With that in mind, I have decided to take some time away from competition, to give myself a little space for my wellbeing and enjoy life beyond the tennis court.
“It will give me the opportunity to step away from the demands of competition, reset, and prepare for what’s ahead.
“I find it hard to express how deeply appreciative I am to all my team members, friends, family, and fans for their continuous belief in me. Your support and kindness means everything.
“I am also truly grateful for my sponsors, who I’d like to thank for their continuous trust and patronage, and for being an important part of my journey, Lulu.”
When Lulu Sun beat Alex Eala and Emma Raducanu in the same tournament
Fans of British tennis, or of Alex Eala… might recognise Sun’s name.
She beat both Emma Raducanu and Eala at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
Lulu Sun’s 2024 Wimbledon run
- 2024 Wimbledon Q1 [WIN] vs Miriam Bianca Bulgaru, 6-2, 6-1
- 2024 Wimbledon Q2 [WIN] vs Gabriela Andrea Knutson, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
- 2024 Wimbledon Q3 [WIN] vs Alex Eala, 7-6, 7-5
- 2024 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Qinwen Zheng, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
- 2024 Wimbledon 2R [WIN] vs Yuliia Starodubtseva, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- 2024 Wimbledon 3R [WIN] vs Lin Zhu, 7-6, 7-6
- 2024 Wimbledon 4R [WIN] vs Emma Raducanu, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
- 2024 Wimbledon QF [LOSS] vs Donna Vekic, 7-5, 4-6, 1-6
The Kiwi beat Eala in straight sets to reach her second career Grand Slam main draw, before knocking out the home favourite to reach the quarter-finals.
Carrying that Wimbledon momentum forward, she reached the Monterrey Open final later in the year, which she lost to Linda Noskova.
She then played, and lost, her second WTA final, a year later, at the Guangzhou Open to another young prospect, Ann Li.
Unfortunately for Sun, that momentum ground to a halt in 2026.
The 25-year-old has only won eight of the 24 matches she’s played this year.
And she hasn’t won a single WTA main draw match.
Taking a break from tennis is never easy, but Sun deserves credit for making such a bold move, and we can only hope that if and when she returns, she does so with the energy to rediscover the form that saw her reach a Grand Slam quarter-final two years ago.
