Sounds: Sun LuLu: Very Happy to Reach First Grand Slam Quarterfinal, Each Round is a New Opportunity

On July 7th, local time, in the fourth round of the 2024 Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Chinese-New Zealand player Sun LuLu, who emerged from the qualifiers, continued her surprise run with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, reaching the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in her career.

Reflecting on the match, Sun said, “It was an incredible match! It was very long, Emma didn’t give up at all. I’m very happy with my performance. In the end, we were both a bit drained; it was a long match. We both played at a high level, and I’m glad, but also exhausted, a bit lost for words.”

“She’s the hometown favorite, one of the most popular players. Honestly, the British crowd is alright, compared to the French Open and US Open audiences. I knew they’d support her, but they were also good to me. The key moments were about staying aggressive, making her move, putting her on defense. If she started attacking, my chances would decrease.”

Having won seven consecutive matches from the qualifiers, Sun became the seventh qualifier in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon women’s singles quarterfinals. She acknowledged the thin line between players: “Actually, there isn’t much difference between the qualifiers and the main draw. Of course, the rankings are different, but in terms of tennis, not much. Qualifiers are just a few breakthroughs away from the top 100, especially in big tournaments where rankings can rise quickly. I was happy to pass the qualifying test this time because last year (2022) I fell in the final round, which was very disappointing. When you’re so close to advancing and don’t make it, it’s heartbreaking! Entering the main draw was a significant breakthrough. Now, every round is a new opportunity, and I’m grateful for another chance to play.”

Discussing her quarterfinal opponent, Vekic, Sun commented, “Vekic is an experienced player, she’s been around on the tour for a long time. I’ll work hard to prepare and be at my best. Her baseline game is excellent, and she has a strong fighting spirit with a good track record. I haven’t watched many of her matches, but I might watch some tomorrow. Tomorrow, I can rest and recover, and have a training session.”

When asked if reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals would change her life, Sun replied, “My life won’t change too much after Wimbledon; I’ll keep playing, go to the next tournament, and continue training. Since 2022, I’ve been able to focus 100% on my tennis. I made some progress last year, but then got injured during the summer. This year, I started playing more WTA tournaments and gained experience. Losing in the first round of the Australian Open taught me a lot. Every tournament, more matches, my tennis keeps improving. At the same time, I’ve been strengthening my physical conditioning.”