Sun Xinran declares her goal to win the Australian Open; which young female champions later became Grand Slam winners

At just 15, Chinese player Sun Xinran set a new target right after claiming the Orange Bowl title, revealing the distinctive boldness and ambition of the emerging young talents.

After clinching the U18 championship at the Orange Bowl, public feedback on Sun Xinran can be simply described as: in some aspects, she reminds people of Li Na, and her future looks very bright.

Moreover, Sun Xinran impresses by speaking fluent English throughout the interview, contrasting with some other Chinese players who occasionally stumble or lose track when speaking English. Just like her calm and stylish performance on the court, she appears composed and confident.

The current intense enthusiasm, attention, and discussion around Sun Xinran are not merely because she made new history for Chinese tennis by winning the Orange Bowl U18 category, but because people are curious about what new goals this highly regarded Chinese tennis prospect has for the coming year.

In the interview, Sun Xinran emphasized her hope to win a W35-level tournament title in the 2026 season.

Many fans and netizens openly express that, judging by her performance at the Orange Bowl, achieving this goal should not be difficult.

Currently, this 15-year-old Chinese girl has already won two W15-level adult tournament titles, especially her October victory in Egypt at this level, which caused a sensation back home.

Before Sun Xinran, no Chinese player had ever won an adult tournament title at the age of 15, so her victory made her the youngest adult tournament champion in the history of Chinese tennis.

Of course, Sun Xinran has even loftier ambitions; she is certainly not content with only aiming for a W35-level title next year but hopes to win the Australian Open championship.

Sun Xinran’s declaration of such a goal is speculated to be related to two reasons: first, Melbourne has always been a lucky ground for Chinese players, with Li Na and Zheng Qinwen making significant breakthroughs by reaching Grand Slam finals there; second, hard courts are this young Chinese player’s absolute strength and her favorite surface type.

Some say that Sun Xinran dares to set a goal of winning the Australian Open because she knows her own ability and is full of confidence in herself.

In fact, even if Sun Xinran did not openly declare a Grand Slam championship as her goal, many people already consider her one of the strongest contenders for future Grand Slam titles. This is because U18 champions from the Orange Bowl often have a very high success rate when transitioning to the professional adult circuit!

So, from 2005 until Sun Xinran’s recent Orange Bowl victory over the past 20 years, which girls who won the U18 title later became Grand Slam champions? There are four in total!

The first is Caroline Wozniacki, affectionately called the Danish Sweetheart by fans and netizens. As the 2005 Orange Bowl girls’ singles champion, she quickly shone after moving from juniors to the professional circuit, eventually winning a Grand Slam and even reaching the world No. 1 ranking in singles.

The second is American player Sofia Kenin. Although she has not been world No. 1 like Wozniacki, this 2014 Orange Bowl girls’ singles champion holds an Australian Open title and a French Open runner-up finish, which still surpasses most current female players.

The third is Canadian Bianca Andreescu. After winning the Orange Bowl in 2015, she claimed a Grand Slam title in a spectacular fashion by defeating the queen of tennis, Serena Williams.

The fourth is the well-known American Coco Gauff. After winning the Orange Bowl in 2018 and just turning professional, she became a popular star. While she has yet to reach world No. 1 in singles, her two Grand Slam titles and multiple major tournament wins have made her the highest-earning female tennis player for two consecutive years, firmly establishing her as the richest woman in tennis.

Other girls over these 20 years have not yet won a Grand Slam title, but their development in tennis is strong, with many firmly establishing themselves on the tour.

Based on these examples, many believe Sun Xinran’s goal of winning the Australian Open is achievable. Even if it is not realized quickly, her transition to the professional adult circuit is expected to be very successful.

Currently, everyone is especially focused on Sun Xinran’s performance in the Australian Open junior girls’ singles next year. If she achieves good results, the support for her declared Grand Slam championship goal will likely increase significantly.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)