Tennis star Lulu Sun powered New Zealand to a thrilling victory over India in the Asia/Oceania Group 1 stage of the Billie Jean King Cup 2025, held at MSLTA Stadium in Pune. After India clinched the opening singles match through Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty’s win over Aishi Das, the pressure was on New Zealand. Rising to the challenge, Lulu Sun — currently ranked world No. 45 — delivered a commanding straight-sets win against Sahaja Yamalapalli to level the tie.
Soon after, Lulu teamed up with Monique Barry in the decisive doubles match, where they outplayed Indian duo Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare to seal the win for New Zealand.
Lulu Sun’s journey to this point has been deeply personal. Born in New Zealand to a Chinese mother and Croatian father, she spent her school years in Switzerland where she faced racial taunts for being the only Asian student. “It was tough growing up,” Sun admitted. “My sister and I constantly felt like we didn’t belong. Tennis gave me a sense of identity when I needed it the most.”
Although she represented Switzerland in her early career, she made the heartfelt decision to play for New Zealand at the senior level just last year. “Both countries are a part of me,” she said, “but I saw an opportunity to grow tennis in New Zealand and wanted to be part of that journey.”
Her introduction to tennis came through her sister’s interest. “I just followed along,” she recalled. “I wasn’t good in the beginning, but I loved going to practice after school.” Her persistence paid off as she finished runner-up in the 2018 Australian Open junior doubles and later led the University of Texas to an NCAA title in 2021.
Her biggest breakthrough came at Wimbledon last year, where she stormed into the quarterfinals despite entering the tournament as a qualifier. Her stunning win over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen sent a clear message — she belonged at the top.
“Tennis doesn’t judge where you come from. On the court, it’s just you and your opponent, the lines, and the net. That’s what I love about it,” Lulu shared.
And in Pune, she let her racket do the talking — helping her team start their Billie Jean King Cup 2025 campaign with a strong victory over India.
