Nine-year-old Lawrence Sun may have been the youngest competitor at the recent Australia Teams Junior Championships but that didn’t stop him clinching a title for the Territory.
Sun took on older interstate players on his way to taking home not just the Under-12s Championship title, the Junior Singles Tier 2 title and the Junior Doubles Under-18s title on the Gold Coast.
Now his dream is to emulate his idol Rafael Nadal and not only compete at the Australian Open but become one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
It isn’t the first time the youngster has tasted success this year with his fancy footwork and powerful lobs earning him the Darwin International Tennis Centre under-12s championship.
For him though when he picked up a racquet three years ago it was about far more than winning titles but getting the chance to play with his brother and biggest supporter Lucas Sun.
Lawrence won his first competition the same year and has cheered on his older brother, who also attends Haileybury Rendall School, as he won his own slew of titles.
His words of wisdom for his success far outweigh his young years as he preaches discipline and consistent 10-hour training weeks with a private coach.
“I have a lot of discipline, avoid injuries and eat good, healthy food,” Lawrence said.
“I do get nervous before I play against people who are older than me and have higher rankings, but I stay calm and focus on the next point.
“My brother helps me by training with me and giving me a good challenge when I play against him. I wouldn’t be where I am without his support.”
Lucas, 11, picked up the racquet when he was seven as a new challenge to try out a fun new challenge and now competes at the Darwin International Centre.
This year he won at the 2026 Season 1 Territory Premier and Junior Leagues.
“My brother and I push ourselves to the limit while training,” says Lucas.
“My idol is Jannik Sinner because he is calm on court and is one of the youngest people in the world to become number one.”
For Lawrence he aspires to be like Nadal, a left hander with plenty of grand slam wins to his name.
“He’s my idol because he is left-handed, won a lot of Grand Slams and has a good temper,” he says.
“My dream is to become the greatest tennis player of all time. I do want to compete in the Australian Open one day, too.”
Next stop on the tennis circuit for Lawrence is the U10 Nationals Championship in October.
He also has aspirations to represent the NT at the Super 10s Australian Open National Camp in Melbourne in January.