Sun Xinran owns the stage in her winning WTA debut

The 16-year-old Chinese phenom dominated from the start of her China Open debut, taking a 6-1, 3-0 lead before Eva Lys retired due to a foot injury.

The home crowd rallied behind Sun from start to finish, and the support helped the world No. 582 manage the pressure of playing under the lights.

“I was feeling really nervous before the match because it’s the first time I’m playing a 1000 (level tournament),” Sun said. “I’m just so happy to play on that court. It’s my home because it’s China.” 

Yet today wasn’t only historic because of her victory, but also because of it being China’s National Day. The electric atmosphere did not go unnoticed by Sun. 

“I saw many people cheering for me," Sun said. “Getting the first win on National Day is very special. Happy birthday, I would like to say happy birthday to the country.”

Sun has already collected exceptional results this year. Fresh off of winning the U.S. Open Juniors, the rising star also made the finals in the juniors of the French Open and Wimbledon. Her experience in juniors has been notable for helping her prepare for her professional debut. 

“It gave me so much experience to play on the big court and also play with a very good opponent,” Sun said. 

At age 11, Sun decided to be a professional tennis player, and five years later, she captured her first win on the WTA Tour. She credits her team and her training for her success.

“My team is very determined,” she said. “We’re really clear about our goals. We’ve been working hard toward these goals. That is why we’re standing here today.” 

The work that Sun has put in was on full display throughout this match. 

Despite getting broken in the first game, Sun remained unfazed and didn’t lose a single point throughout her next three service games. Maintaining an 81 percent win rate on first serve and winning five break points, she excited the crowd with her blend of power and finesse.

Lys was forced to retire due to a foot injury. The world No. 102 noticeably struggled on her serve throughout the match, double faulting three times in a row in the first set’s sixth game and seven double faults overall.

Sun will face against No. 27 seed Cristina Bucșa in the second round. 

While she is excited by Thursday’s victory, Sun still remains humble as she continues on in the tournament, with plans to play more junior events in the future. 

“I will go step by step, focus on myself,” Sun said. “I will take my own pace.” 

By Maya Sabapathy