Imagine being a child and standing beside your tennis idol, feeling completely amazed. For Lulu Sun, this fantasy turned into a reality when she was merely five years old. As she grew up, Lulu played in multiple ITF events and collegiate tennis before ultimately turning pro in 2022. Now, she is not only the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist but has also made her mark in the Olympics. However, when she looked back at her tennis inspiration, she recalled her “obsession” with her idol, Rafael Nadal, and paid a heartfelt tribute to him!

Imagine it’s 2006, a year when Rafael Nadal captured 6 titles, including a second French Open trophy! The world watched him in awe, and it also included the eventual WTA player, Lulu Sun, who saw one of Nadal’s matches on-court (live) and even clicked a picture with him! Sharing this adorable and nostalgic moment on her Instagram, Sun answered a fan’s question during a Q&A session, “Who is your favorite player (men)?”

The Monterrey Open runner-up responded, “This man right here 🥹 (5 year old me was obsessed 😂).” In that picture, Sun, wearing her casual attire, is standing beside Nadal, dressed in a blue half-sleeved Nike t-shirt and white trousers, with a racquet in his hand. Moreover, Sun’s excitement on her face was palpable as she tightly held a doll in her hand, while Nadal, with his long hair and white Nike headband, kept smiling in a different direction. 

Ahead of Wimbledon QFs, Sun’s coach, Vladimir Platenik, said, “Lulu is on a wave. And we don’t want to fall off the wave now.” To further enhance her game, the coach incorporated elements of Rafael Nadal’s playing style into her training regimen. “A lot of parents, coaches, and the media, they say ‘go enjoy yourself’ and I don’t like it,” Platenik said.

“Because it’s telling your player if you lose, it’s fine. It’s not fine. You don’t want to lose. But I say go, give your best. I tell her little tricks she needs to do: look at me, push yourself, activate the legs like Rafa, watch the ball, [and] be focussed on the ball.” However, understandably, Nadal is not the only one she looked up to.

“But again same thing applies to guy tennis players, looked up to a lot of them (Federer, djoko, ivanisevic, roddick, etc),” Sun further added in the same story. Her reference to Roger Federer, who was having one of his best seasons in 2006, where he won 12 singles titles and remained undefeated in 92 matches, is also understandable. Besides, it was also around the same year that Novak Djokovic earned his maiden ATP title at Dutch Open and began his dominance in tennis. Moreover, by then, Andy Roddick had already amazed fans with his US Open glory (2003) and Goran Ivanisevic with his 22 singles titles!

Hoping to make her own indelible mark, Sun, who was at No. 151 rank in February, has now climbed to No. 39 (in September). After her Wimbledon tournament earlier this year, she admitted, “It is kind of crazy how more and more people are being aware of my presence,” in an interview ahead of the Olympics. However, not only Sun, even Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1 player, has previously shown her admiration for her idol, Nadal!

Swiatek opens up on her idol, Rafael Nadal, and why she looks up to him!

A couple of years ago, Swiatek confessed, “If I’m going to win more Grand Slam titles and have more success in my career, then I hope I will be like Rafa.” The Pole’s respect for Rafael Nadal goes beyond his amazing tennis, as she frequently praises his humility and his off-court demeanor. Moreover, when Nadal suffered from his consistent hip injuries, Swiatek showed her support for him.

In an interview, she even opened up on how his “humble” nature did not change even after achieving immense success. Besides, Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles, once confessed how she used to watch Rafael Nadal on TV and learn his techniques as a kid.

“I just watched him practice. I kind of wanted to take something from it.” She further revealed how she adopted her techniques from the 14 time French Open winner: “It’s good to look at his forehand as an example, how he’s using this spin to make a difference. Also, his backhand is pretty flat. I think we have many similarities in that case.” 

Fans have also seen Swiatek’s way of sprinting out to her place behind the baseline, just like Nadal! As players like Swiatek and Sun carve their own paths in tennis, the legacy of Rafael Nadal in the sport will continue to live on!