Lulu Sun, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, has said she is “stepping away” from tennis after the physical and mental strain of the sport began to weigh on her.

The New Zealander made a major breakthrough in 2024, reaching the last eight at Wimbledon after beating Emma Raducanu and former Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen on the way. That run lifted her to a career-high ranking of 39 later that year, but her position has since slipped to 119th.

Sun, now 25, has also represented Croatia and Switzerland in her youth, reflecting her family background and upbringing in Geneva. In a post on Instagram on Friday, she described the pressures of professional tennis as “relentless” and said she needed time away from the tour for her wellbeing.

She wrote on Instagram on Friday, “Hi guys, I wanted to take a bit of your time to share something personal with you… In professional tennis, as in life, there is constant pressure to perfect oneself. The physical and mental demands of a competition schedule are relentless and can impact your life in more ways than one.

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“With that in mind, I have decided to take some time away from competition to give myself a little space for my wellbeing and to enjoy life beyond the tennis court. It will give me the opportunity to step away from the demands of competition, reset and prepare for what’s ahead.”

She also expressed gratitude to those around her. “I find it hard to express how deeply appreciative I am to all my team members, friends, family and fans for their continuous belief in me. Your support and kindness means everything,” she continued.

“I am also truly grateful to my sponsors who I’d like to thank for their continued trust and patronage, and for being an important part of my journey.”

Since her Wimbledon breakthrough, Sun has won only one Grand Slam match in six attempts. That victory came in the second round of the 2025 US Open. She has been a WTA Tour finalist twice, losing to Linda Noskova in the Monterrey Open final in August 2024 and to Ann Li in Guangzhou last October.

Incidentally, Alex Eala was among the prominent names to like the post on Instagram.

WHAT NEXT? WTA Rankings: Rybakina overtakes Sabalenka in Race, Swiatek soars, Mboko nosedives

Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ former coach, has offered a blunt assessment of Alex Eala’s serve, saying she was “incorrectly” taught as a junior while developing the motion.

Eala has become one of the sport’s most closely watched players. Her rise has accelerated after winning the Washington Open, the first WTA Tour title of her career, which pushed the 21-year-old into the top 20 for the first time. Even with that breakthrough, the discussion around her game has continued to focus on one area in particular.

Many observers believe that if Eala is to contend for a Grand Slam title, her serve must improve. The numbers cited around her delivery are not flattering, with her ranking outside the top 50 for aces, first-serve win percentage and second-serve win percentage.

Views on that issue have varied. Rennae Stubbs initially said the 21-year-old could not win a major, though she has since softened that position after the Washington triumph. Andy Roddick has also explained why the left-hander’s serve can be more difficult to handle than it appears.

Macci, however, remains firmly critical. The 71-year-old, who has coached five No. 1 players in Roddick, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Jennifer Capriati, said he believes it will be “almost impossible” to overhaul Eala’s serve before the off season. He argued that it requires major changes, that she does not use her legs enough, and that the work would amount to a deep technical rebuild.

On Instagram this week, he wrote, “Almost impossible to change Eala’s serve ’till the off season. This is heavy-duty, in-depth reconstructive surgery, all science-based with a biomechanist.

“Any tip, suggestion, tweak or change is a band-aid. She is smooth, relaxed, and flowing but was taught incorrectly as a junior when growing [up].

“Number one culprit on the WTA Tour, the leg drive does not initiate racquet entry at the proper time. If you do millions of anything, it will get better, but the timing will never be like Federer.”

Earlier in the week, Macci said that if Eala can receive “biomechanical help” on her serve, then it is time to fasten your seatbelts. He did, though, praise her “lethal” groundstrokes and called her the “Philippine Machine”. Eala now turns her attention to the Cincinnati Open as she begins her campaign before this year’s US Open.

Iga Swiatek may have found the result that changes the direction of her season, claiming her first title since last September with a commanding victory over Elena Rybakina in the Canadian Open final.

For much of the past year, Swiatek has been wrestling with form and confidence. She has been open about the self-doubt that has shaped the most difficult stretch of her career, but in Toronto she produced the sort of response she needed. Against a below-par Rybakina, the Polish player stayed composed and completed a 6-2, 6-4 win.

The outcome carries importance beyond the trophy itself. It ends Swiatek’s slide in the WTA Rankings and delivers her 26th career title. She also moves back up to fifth in the standings, climbing ahead of French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.

Rybakina, meanwhile, will view the final as a missed opportunity after an error-strewn performance. Even so, her run in Toronto has strengthened her position in the race for the world No 1 ranking. She is now within touching distance of Aryna Sabalenka and has established herself as world No 2, leaving open the possibility of overtaking the Belarusian player at the Cincinnati Open or perhaps at the US Open.

Swiatek will collect $1,085,200 in prize money, while Rybakina takes home $564,920. For Swiatek, though, the greater value was psychological. She pointed to her head after the match, a gesture that underlined how central mental strength was to the result.

The closing moments also featured a frosty-looking exchange at the net between the two players, before Swiatek celebrated emotionally with her team. “The handshake was interesting,” observed former British No 1 Annabel Croft on Sky Sports. “It was short and sharp. No words exchanged between them.

“It’s a big win for Swiatek. Her reaction after the match showed what it meant to her. I’ve never seen her react like this. That shows how important this was to her.”

Belief has been in short supply for Swiatek, but this title, and the manner in which she won it, gives her a major lift heading toward the US Open.