Former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lulu Sun has announced she is “stepping away” from tennis as the physical and mental demands of the sport are taking their toll.
Sun made headlines in 2024 when she made the last eight of that year’s Wimbledon Championships, where she beat Emma Raducanu and former Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen along the way.
She reached a career high of 39 later that year but since then, the 25-year-old has dropped down the rankings, with the New Zealander currently 119th.
Now, Sun, who has also competed for Croatia and Switzerland in her youth due to her Croatian father and having been raised in Geneva, has admitted that the demands of being a tennis pro are “relentless” and that she needs a break from the sport.
She wrote on Instagram on Friday, “Hi guys, I wanted to take a bit of your time to share something personal with you… 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.
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“With that in mind, I have decided to take some time away from competition to give myself a little space for my wellbeing and to 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.”
Sun also took a moment to thank her nearest and dearest for supporting her. Now it remains to see what comes next.
“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,” she continued.
“I am also truly grateful to my sponsors who I’d like to thank for their continued trust and patronage, and for being an important part of my journey.”
Since her breakout Wimbledon run, Sun has only won one match at a Grand Slam in six attempts, with the left-hander making it to round two of the 2025 US Open.
Sun has twice been a WTA Tour finalist, losing in the Monterrey Open final to Linda Noskova in August 2024 and in Guangzhou to Ann Li last October. Incidentally, Alex Eala was one of the prominent names to like the post on Instagram.
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