Former New Zealand No 1 Marina Erakovic believes Lulu Sun can rediscover the form that propelled her into last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals as she begins her US Open campaign in New York.
Sun, 24, will face Colombia’s Camila Osorio in the opening round on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
While Osorio is ranked No 57 in the world and has a US Open junior title to her name, she has never progressed beyond the second round of the senior women’s draw.
For Sun, the challenge is to turn the page on a difficult period since her breakthrough run at Wimbledon in 2024. That performance catapulted her up the rankings and onto the radar of the tennis world, but she has struggled to build on it this season and has since slipped back.
Erakovic, who reached a career-high ranking of 39 and retired in 2018, said the transition from surprise package to marked contender is one of the toughest stages in a young player’s career.
“It’s tough, especially when you’ve had a breakthrough result, like her at Wimbledon,” Erakovic said.
“You’ve gone from being an underdog and playing freely, and now you’re protecting something. You’re trying to protect those points, and everyone knows who you are.
“Everyone’s watched you play, so you’ve got a target on your back and that can be mentally challenging.
“I think she’s probably experienced a bit of that. Now she’s one of the favourites and she needs to perform every time, and that can be tough.
“But now that she’s got Wimbledon behind her, I think she’ll play a little more freely again. She knows what to expect, she knows the girls, so I expect awesome things from her.”
Sun has shown signs of getting back to her best recently. She had an impressive win over Daria Kasatkina, just before Wimbledon, at Eastbourne, and she came through qualifying to lose a gripping match 7-6 7-6 against Linda Noskova in Monterrey this week.
Sun’s all-court game has drawn admirers across the tour, and Erakovic said her variety and natural aggression remain strong foundations to build on.
“She’s got a very nice style. She’s a lefty, she moves well, she can come in, she’s got variety for most surfaces,” Erakovic said. “I wouldn’t put her as a specialist on any certain court.
“Improvement-wise, she can still get better across the board—probably her serve, her movement a little bit, making the right choices in certain situations on court.
“But I really like the way she plays, and I think she’s got a game that definitely has the potential to be top 20 for sure.”
Osorio, Sun’s first-round opponent, is a gritty baseliner who has been in steady form this year. If Sun advances, she will likely meet Belgium’s Elise Mertens, the No 30 seed, in the second round.
Erakovic, however, is confident Sun’s aggressive mindset will serve her well on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows.
“She’s got the game to get back,” Erakovic said. “It’s just about experience and putting herself in those situations again. She’s had the breakthrough, now she knows what it takes. It’s only a matter of time before it comes together again.”
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