Linda Fruhvirtova ends three-year Slam drought in Melbourne
Linda Fruhvirtova beat Lulu Sun 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday
Linda Fruhvirtova | © Tennis Majors
Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova, 20, secured her first Grand Slam main draw victory in three years on Tuesday night, defeating New Zealander Lulu Sun, 24, with a 6-3, 7-5 win in the first round of the Australian Open.
The world number 132 capitalized on a high error count from the 86th-ranked Sun, who recorded 46 unforced errors throughout the match. Fruhvirtova, who had to win three qualifying matches to reach this stage, showed superior consistency in the high-pressure moments of the second set to avoid a decider.
This victory serves as a significant turning point in the journey of the young Czech, who was once considered the premier prodigy of the WTA tour. At just 17 years old, Fruhvirtova reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2023 and climbed to a career-high ranking of 49.
Second round vs. Valentova
However, that breakout was followed by a difficult two-year period where she struggled to maintain her results on the senior circuit. Between the summer of 2023 and the end of 2025, she went winless in five consecutive Grand Slam opening rounds and saw her ranking drop outside the top 100.
Tonight’s result marks her first win in the main draw of a major since that 2023 Melbourne run, signaling a successful rebuilding phase after spending much of 2025 finding her form in lower-level events.
Fruhvirtova now advances to an all-Czech second-round encounter against 18-year-old Tereza Valentova. The world number 54, Valentova, moved into the round of 64 after upsetting the 30th seed Maya Joint earlier in the day. The upcoming match will be a clash between two of the Czech Republic’s most promising talents, with the winner potentially moving back toward the top 50 in the live rankings.
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