The sun set over London after the former star of Texas women’s tennis’ Lulu Sun fell to Donna Vekic in three sets, 5-7, 6-4 and 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships.
The 23-year-old took the first set, but dropped the next two, missing out on the semifinals of the historic championships.
Fatigue played a key role in Sun’s defeat. Because Sun was ranked outside the top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, her run followed an additional three qualifying matches she won to enter into the main draw.
With it being only her second entrance into the main draw of a Grand Slam and the farthest she’s ever gotten in one, Sun has a lower fatigue threshold than a tour veteran like Vekic, who is ranked No. 21 on the WTA Tour. The quarterfinals was Sun’s eighth match within two weeks and Vekic’s fifth.
“It was a tough match,” Sun told The New Zealand Herald. “Towards the end of the second and third (sets), I had some trouble with cramps. That’s maybe the only regret I have, I couldn’t keep up physically. But she played better (than me) today.”
In the opening round, Sun beat Australian Open finalist No. 8 Qinwen Zheng. It was her first top-10 win, and also her first victory over any player in the top 100 at Wimbledon. Her most prolific win came in the round of 16 when she eliminated hometown hero Emma Raducanu, who won the U.S. Open back in 2021. Sun ended that match holding 52 match wins, the most of any women in the tournament for the time being. In comparison, Raducanu had 19.
UT President Jay Hartzell even made an appearance at the qualifiers while the former Texas athlete competed.
Sun, who hails from New Zealand, came into the tournament ranked No. 123 on the WTA Tour. Her ranking jumped up to No. 54, a career-high, after the conclusion of the tournament. For her maiden appearance on Centre Court, Sun earned $480,000. These achievements are sure to open the door for entrants into more Grand Slams and high-profile tournaments.
The run was a historic one, as Sun became the first Grand Slam quarterfinalist in program history. She also became the first New Zealand woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals in the Open Era.
Before turning professional, the former Longhorn played one season for Texas. In the final of the 2021 NCAA tournament, she won the championship-clinching match for Texas.
The former Longhorn will represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games this month in the women’s doubles tournament alongside partner Erin Routliffe.
