Sun Xinran Makes WTA Debut at Age 16 in Beijing

"I'm just really happy to have this chance to play my first WTA 1000, especially in the main draw," Sun told wtatennis.com. "All players here are really tough to compete against, and I just want to play my tennis and fight for every point."

Sun is poised to compete in more professional events over the coming years.

Her recent victory at the US Open junior championships is the highlight of her young career. She defeated Anna Pushkareva in the final, following earlier losses in the finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon to Pushkareva and Alisa Oktiabreva, respectively. Sun noted that her losses were difficult but served as motivation for her preparation leading up to the US Open.

"Losing finals at the French Open and Wimbledon was really tough for me, and I was really sad after that," Sun reflected. "After discussing with my coach what went wrong, we were able to focus on our tactics for the US Open. We really did it, and I'm so happy."

Originally from Shenzhen, China, Sun's introduction to tennis came through her mother, who enjoyed the sport recreationally. Inspired to pursue it further, she relocated to Belgrade, Serbia, at age 10 to enhance her training.

Sun has already participated in various professional events within the ITF and WTA circuits, posting a 23-10 career record and securing two W15 titles. In the junior category, she became the first Chinese player to win two J500 titles and reached the No. 1 ranking in June 2026, following in the footsteps of Wang Xiyu and Xu Shilin.

"Being World No. 1 in juniors is great, but there's a big difference in professional tennis in terms of strength and technique," Sun said. "I need to keep improving my power and can learn a lot from this tournament."

When asked about her idols, Sun mentioned watching former World No. 4 Zheng Qinwen during her Olympic gold medal match. Zheng also received a main-draw wild card for the China Open, and Sun expressed admiration for her determination during matches.

"She just fought, and she won that match," Sun said. "I want to be that player who fights even at 0-5 down or when the opponent is set ahead."

As she embarks on her professional journey, Sun is grateful for the opportunity to compete at a high level in Beijing alongside prominent players like Zheng, who has acknowledged Sun's achievements in junior tennis.