Gracheva Upset by Lulu Sun in First Round of Madrid WTA 1000

On the opening day of the Madrid WTA 1000 tournament, Varvara Gracheva, one of only two Frenchwomen in the main draw alongside Diane Parry, aimed to secure her spot in the second round.

Facing Lulu Sun, the world No. 66 started the match strongly, breaking the New Zealander in her very first service game. However, the left-handed Sun, a quarterfinalist at the last Wimbledon, responded perfectly and ultimately turned the match around.

In a one-sided second set, Sun, currently ranked 45th in the WTA rankings, forced a decisive third set. Gracheva was the first to break, but her lead was short-lived.

In the end, after saving multiple break points along the way, Lulu Sun prevailed and claimed her first career victory over Gracheva (3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in under two hours).

In their only previous encounter in Auckland in 2024, Gracheva had won in straight sets. The 24-year-old Sun now advances to the second round, where she will face Sofia Kenin.

Meanwhile, Gracheva continues her shaky start to the year. The French player, who has yet to string together back-to-back wins in a single tournament in 2025, suffers her second clay-court defeat this season after falling in the Rouen quarterfinals to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.