Lulu Sun was in her moment. A sea of Wimbledon white blanketed the surroundings. The sounds of 15,000 spectators reached a crescendo with every point and suddenly fell silent with every bounce of the ball.
Sun’s pro career is one of the most recent examples of how far Texas collegiate players have come in professional tennis. Her success in the biggest tournaments has redefined what is possible for Longhorns.
It was a historic summer on the court for Texas women’s tennis. Given the success of the team over the last five years, it comes as no surprise that the Longhorns are making a mark at the next level.
Texas tennis has been a beneficiary of both international players and an increase in the number of pro tennis players. Namely, alumnae Peyton Stearns and Lulu Sun as well as freshman Maya Joint are making notable strides in the professional world.
Stearns, the first ever national champion to have played for the Longhorns, continues to find success on the tour as she becomes a veteran. She achieved her highest doubles ranking of 76 this August. On the singles side, she captured her first ever Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title in Morocco at the end of May. She continues to gain experience and her pro accomplishments are beginning to pile up.
Joint’s career provides more evidence of the changing reputation of college tennis. An accomplished junior player who achieved a Top 250 singles ranking, she decided to forego the tour to take her talent to Austin.
This summer, she reached the US Open Main Draw after beating American Hailey Baptiste 6-1 and 6-2 in a qualifying match. In the first official round of the tournament, with Texas head coach Howard Joffe in attendance, Joint defeated Germany’s Laura Siegemund, a current internationally-ranked top 70 player. In the second round, Joint lost to star American Madison Keys. Despite the loss, she gained experience that will serve her throughout her career.
Sun may be considered the best pro tennis player to ever step foot on the Forty Acres. Sun started off her summer by being named to the New Zealand tennis team, competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic games. She is the first and only Texas women’s tennis player to make an Olympic roster, competing in both the women’s singles and doubles. Despite falling in straight sets in both of her first round matches, her qualification for the games is an enormous feat.
In the midst of her Olympic competition, Sun was also making waves on the tour. In Wimbledon, perhaps the most decorated tournament in all of tennis, Sun qualified for the quarter finals. She is the first woman to reach the Final Eight in a major tournament in Texas history. Sun defeated eighth-seeded and top competitor Zhu Lin in the third round in her most impressive win of the tournament before defeating former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16.
The success of Texas’ program sets the Longhorns up well to continue to making their mark on the professional landscape.
