Xinran Sun needed just 43 minutes to score her first WTA main-draw match win in Beijing on Thursday. The 16-year-old topped Eva Lys 6-1, 3-0 before the German was forced to retire on Diamond Court at the 2026 China Open.
Xinran Sun Level Up to WTA Win in Beijing
Before Lys bowed out, Sun seemed fully in command of the match, reeling off nine consecutive games after dropping her opening service game. Lys, ranked No. 102, committed seven double faults before retiring early in the second set with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Sun played with poise well beyond her No. 582 ranking. With the win, the reigning junior world No. 1, who also claimed the US Open junior title just last month, is one of the youngest WTA tour-winners.
"Honestly I feel good on the court," Sun said. "I'm just making my tactic and just following what I need to do."
Teenagers Lead Next Wave of Chinese Tennis
Beyond Sun's straight-sets win, fellow Chinese teenager Qu Yihan nearly pulled off an upset of her own. The 17-year-old pushed world No. 116 Harriet Dart to three sets before falling 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in a three-hour battle. It was the second-longest match of the Asian swing tournament.
Both earned wildcards into the main draw, part of a four-player teen contingent whose early WTA scores suggest China's tennis game has a promising next generation on the rise.
