Three consecutive wins! Sun Xinran reaches a new career-high world ranking, marking a major breakthrough in her career.

This week, several young Chinese talents born after 2007 have delivered quite impressive performances. Zhang Ruien, who reached the semifinals of an ITF W50 challenge event in 2024, first staged a comeback in the first round of the ITF W35 Burnie Hope tournament in Australia against the second seed, Japanese player Mihoshi Kuramochi, ending her losing streak in the 2026 season. Subsequently, she dominated Australian player Fick in the second round, advancing to the quarterfinals of a Hope event for the first time in 2026.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuhan also started strong at the ITF W35 Burnie Hope tournament, sweeping past Indian qualifier M Shah in the first round to claim her first victory of the 2026 season. However, one Chinese youngster, even younger than Wang Yuhan and Zhang Ruien, has captured more attention with her performance. So, who is this rising star? What achievements did she secure this week? Let this article take you through the details.

This young Chinese player is Sun Xinran. Born in 2010, she is notably younger than Wang Yuhan (born 2007) and Zhang Ruien (born 2008). In October 2025, Sun Xinran won back-to-back titles at the ITF W15 Sharm El Sheikh Hope tournaments, becoming the youngest Chinese female tennis player to claim a Hope event championship. Furthermore, in late December of that year, she triumphed in the Orange Bowl U18 category, marking the first time a Chinese female tennis player has won a title at that level in the tournament's history.

This week, Sun Xinran faced French player Y Mansouri in the first round of the ITF W35 Monastir Hope tournament. In the opening set, Sun aggressively took control, breaking her opponent's serve multiple times to secure a 6-1 victory.

However, the momentum shifted in the second set. Unwilling to concede, Y Mansouri fought back to win 6-3, forcing a deciding set. In the final set, Mansouri even held a match point at one stage. Demonstrating resilience, Sun Xinran gradually leveled the score and pushed the match into a tiebreak. During the tiebreak, she seized her opportunity and closed out the match, securing her first win of the 2026 season.

In the second round, Sun Xinran's opponent was French player N Berecoechea, who had caused an upset in the first round by defeating the top seed, American player C Ansari, proving to be a formidable challenger. In this match, Sun faced stiff resistance in the first set, with the score remaining tight and eventually going to a tiebreak. Showing superior skill in the tiebreak, she claimed the set, moving within reach of victory. In the second set, Sun left little room for her opponent, winning 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of a Hope event for the first time in 2026.

In the quarterfinals, Zhang Ruien fought hard but ultimately fell to Japanese player Kokoro Mushiga, exiting the tournament. Sun Xinran, meanwhile, faced the sixth seed, German player Benemann, a former ITF W75 challenge champion known for her solid game.

In the first set, Benemann repeatedly built leads, only for Sun Xinran to fight back and level the score. With neither player able to gain a decisive advantage, the set went to a tiebreak. Perhaps having grown accustomed to tiebreak situations, Sun played more proactively and aggressively, clinching the first set.

In the second set, Sun Xinran maintained her offensive pressure, winning 6-4 to defeat her opponent in an upset and reach the semifinals of an ITF W35 Hope event for the first time in her career. This three-match winning streak has propelled her world ranking to No. 761. The youngest among her peers, she carries the greatest momentum. We look forward to this young Chinese tennis talent continuing to deliver more surprises! That's today's tennis story; we'll continue tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)