Sun Xinran turned a Wimbledon reversal into a US Open breakthrough on Saturday, defeating Anna Pushkareva 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to capture the girls’ singles crown in New York.
Sun claims first junior major after dominant final set
The 16-year-old Chinese player, the world’s No. 1 junior, completed her first Grand Slam singles title in 1 hour and 47 minutes. It was her third major final of the season after losses at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Quick facts
- Final: Sun Xinran beat Anna Pushkareva 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
- Match time: 1 hour, 47 minutes.
- Sun converted six of eight break points; Pushkareva took two of 10.
- Sun is ranked No. 599 in the WTA PIF Rankings; Pushkareva is No. 971.
- Annika and Kristina Penickova won the girls’ doubles title.
Sun recovered after Pushkareva levelled the contest with a 6-4 second set, then shut out her Russian opponent in the decider. Her steadiness proved decisive: Sun struck 10 winners and made 26 unforced errors, while Pushkareva produced 28 winners but also 48 unforced mistakes.
“It was a difficult match,” Sun said. “After losing the second set, it was hard to reset for the third. I tried to stay on each point and not think about what had already happened.”
The final was a rematch of the Wimbledon girls’ championship match two months earlier, when Pushkareva beat Sun in 2 hours and 23 minutes, the longest girls’ final in Wimbledon history.
Sun said the pressure of reaching a third major final had shaped her preparation. She had lost her first two and wanted to arrive better rested, concentrate on tactics and avoid becoming preoccupied with the result.
The New York result puts Sun ahead 3-1 in the pair’s meetings across junior and professional events. She won their only pro encounter, beating Pushkareva 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 in the final of an ITF W15 tournament in Sharm el-Sheikh last October, and also prevailed 7-5, 6-4 on clay in Milan in their earlier junior match.
Asked about her next step, Sun indicated that the professional circuit will take greater priority. She said she hopes to focus more on pro events and could also play Grand Slam tournaments in the future.
Penickova sisters take girls’ doubles trophy
American sisters Annika Penickova and Kristina Penickova lifted the girls’ doubles title with a 7-6 (11), 6-3 victory over Polina Berezina and Alisa Terentyeva.
It is the sisters’ second junior major doubles championship, following their Australian Open triumph in 2025. Kristina Penickova now owns three junior Grand Slam doubles titles, having also won Wimbledon last year alongside Vendula Valdmannova.
SEO Title: Sun Xinran beats Anna Pushkareva to win US Open girls’ title
SEO Description: World No. 1 junior Sun Xinran defeated Anna Pushkareva in three sets to win the US Open girls’ singles title, while the Penickova sisters claimed doubles.
