Photo: AFP / Takuya Matsumoto
Tennis player Lulu Sun has jumped straight off the emotional rollercoaster of Wimbledon and onto the clay courts of the Paris Olympics with a smile on her face.
Sun's impressive run in the singles at Wimbledon, where she became the first New Zealand woman to make quarterfinals, only ended less than three weeks ago and she has had to change her mindset quickly.
The 23-year-old will team up with the world doubles number one-ranked player Erin Routliffe to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, which begin at Roland Garros on 27 July.
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"I had to reset myself for [Paris] because you don't want to keep having different kinds of emotions before a tournament, you have to reset and come down and be grounded and centered," she says.
"Wimbledon was just crazy. I think I had some many different kinds of emotions and the support was massive and it was a little bit overwhelming at first, but I'm just super grateful for all the experience and I'm going to take all that I've gathered from Wimbledon from here to the Olympics."
Sun grins when she describes her doubles partner. The duo have not played together very much so are still coming to grips with what will make their individual success into a winning partnership.
"It's so fun - she's so easy-going and she's really funny and I think I'm learning a lot from her."
Routliffe has had success with many different doubles partners this year - including her regular partner, Canadian Gaby Dabrowski, as well as a tournament with American Coco Gauff and mixed doubles with fellow Kiwi Michael Venus - so she knows what it takes to gel.
"Doubles is all about getting the best out of yourself while simultaneously getting the best out of your partner. I try to always keep it pretty light, I think a lot of athletes are really intense, really focussed all the time and I am obviously focussed but I try to just have a lot of jokes with them," Routliffe says.
"I always try to keep an open line of communication to try and make them feel comfortable and feel like they can talk to me about anything no matter what it is. It's something I've definitely learned over the years is how important it is to be a good partner and to let your partner have that space to express whatever they want.
"I'm smiling a lot on the court and I think it helps relax my partners."
Routliffe says the partnership with Sun is growing the more they practise together in the days before their first match.
"We're learning about each other, learning what we want to do and what we don't want to do and what our identity as a team is, which is so important because when we step out on to the court it is such a mental game ... that is going to be the most important."
If the New Zealand duo can click in Paris it will have a slightly unusual bonus for Sun. She has rocketed up the singles world rankings from 123rd to 53rd after Wimbledon, but says she would still need to play qualifying at the next WTA in Toronto, Canada which begins on 6 August.
Sun has her fingers crossed that she and Routliffe make it far enough through the doubles in Paris that not only are they in medal contention, but that she can also miss Toronto and move on the next tournament in Cincinnati.
After changing allegiances to New Zealand just a few months ago, Sun is buzzing to be at the Olympics.
"I think the Olympics is so special. It's such a unique tournament and that's why some athletes say this is more special than sometimes a Grand Slam even ... sometimes you don't [qualify] and some players never get to an Olympics so to be able to participate is something so special."
While Sun has come on casual tennis fans' radar for her singles exploits, she points out she's "not bad at doubles" either.
"I've got practice from university and some practice also in the pros and obviously Erin is number one so I think she's a pretty good partner!"
Clay courts are not Routliffe's preferred surface but she acknowledges Sun's time growing up in Europe, where the surface is more common, will help.
"I have had success on clay so I think I can adapt my game to whatever surface but [it's] definitely not my favourite, [however] Roland Garros is very fast and I like fast courts so I'm sure it will be fine."
