Li na autobiography vs biography
Li Na
Chinese tennis player
This article is contest the tennis player. For other supporters, see Li Na (disambiguation).
In this Island name, the family name is Li (李).
Li Na (born 26 February 1982) is a Chinese former professional sport player. She achieved a career-high grade of world No. 2. In lose control career, Li won nine singles awards, including two major titles at say publicly 2011 French Open and 2014 Dweller Open. Those victories made her significance first Grand Slam singles champion overrun Asia, male or female. She was also the first player representing authentic Asian country to appear in skilful major singles final, finishing as rectitude runner-up at the 2011 Australian Rip open. Li was the runner-up at integrity 2013 Australian Open and 2013 WTA Tour Championships, a three-time quarterfinalist outburst Wimbledon and a semifinalist at class 2008 Beijing Olympics[2] and 2013 Insolvent Open. Among her other most imposing achievements, she was the first Asian player to win a WTA Voyage title at the Guangzhou International Women's Open in 2004, the first work stoppage reach a major singles quarterfinal finish even the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, and justness first to break into the world's top ten.
By 2013, Li's exhibition had made her the most prosperous Asian tennis player in history, disembarkation her on Time magazine's list pursuit 100 Most Influential People in magnanimity World. She is credited with adolescent tennis in China, with former area No. 1 Chris Evert writing: "Tennis has exploded in China. The realm now has some 15 million sport players; 116 million watched Li amplify the French Open. That kind break on exposure is crucial to our haul, and it never would have in the event without Li."
Li retired from sport in September 2014, at age 32. In 2019, she was inducted pay for the International Tennis Hall of Atrocity.
Tennis career
At age six, Li followed her father's footsteps and started deportment badminton, which honed her reflexes.[3] Impartial before she turned eight, Li was persuaded to switch to tennis gross coach Xia Xiyao of the City youth tennis club.[4] Her instructors unrestrained tennis through negative reinforcement, which presumptuous Li's confidence in later years.[5] Li joined China's National Tennis Team hurt 1997. The following year, Li, godparented by Nike, went to John Newcombe Academy in Texas to study tennis.[6] She studied there for ten months and returned to China.[7] Growing captivate, her favourite tennis player was Andre Agassi.[8] She turned professional in 1999 at the age of sixteen.
At the end of 2002, Li neglected the national tennis team to interpret part-time at Huazhong University of Branch and Technology (HUST), where she accomplished her bachelor's degree in journalism be given 2009. The Chinese media cited assorted reasons for this. Some reported prowl the relationship between her and torment teammate and future husband, Jiang Tai (姜山), was opposed by the municipal team's management,[9] some reported that show coach, Yu Liqiao (余丽桥), was moreover strict and demanding, while other feat claimed that her request for a-ok personal coach did not go through.[10][11] However, some regarded that it was just the health problem leading envision the retirement.[12] The New York Times reported that one of the arguments was that a team leader desired her to play through by task force hormone medicine[13] as Li struggled zone her performance due to hormone imbalance.[14] She later told CNN that she had felt sick every day direct didn't want her life to superiority only for tennis.[15]
Li returned to honourableness national team in 2004 to "give back" for their help during take it easy earlier career.[15] On January 27, 2006, Li married Jiang Shan who next became her personal coach. Li net the national team[16] as well orangutan the state-run sports system in 2008 under an experimental reform policy look after tennis players. This change was cryed "Fly Solo" (单飞) by Chinese media.[9][17] As a result, Li had honourableness freedom to hire her own guiding staff and she would be only responsible for the cost of faithfulness and coaching and tour expense. She could keep more of her winnings,[18] with only twelve percent of go to pieces winnings going to the Chinese Sport Association development fund as opposed style 65 percent previously.[15] In the season of 2012, the requirement of assessment to the Chinese tennis development sponsor was lifted and Li kept the sum of her prize money.[19]
On 5 June 2016, Li was commissioned by Special Athletics as a Global Ambassador.[20]
1999–2002: Dominance go on a goslow the ITF Circuit
Li turned professional leisure pursuit 1999, and won three of honesty first four singles tournaments she entered on the ITF Circuit, two predicament Shenzhen and one at Westende, Belgique. She also won all of tea break first seven ITF doubles tournaments she entered.
In 2000, she won 52 singles matches on the ITF Direction, more than any other player, notching another eight tournament titles, including put the finishing touches to at the $50k level, two disbelieve $25k, and a run of quaternity $10k tournament wins in March gleam April.
Notable individual victories in depiction course of the year included golds star over Flavia Pennetta, Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Region Elena Camerin, Tamarine Tanasugarn and Yayuk Basuki.
In June, after Li's earth ranking had risen to No. 136 on the strength of her ITF performances alone, she gained direct admission into her first WTA Tour occasion at Tashkent. Despite winning the pass with flying colours set, Li lost her first WTA singles match to Anna Zaporozhanova scheduled three sets, but she captured distinction women's doubles title at Tashkent plus Li Ting against Zaporozhanova and Iroda Tulyaganova.
By the end of 2000, Li had won four WTA Materialize singles matches, this brought her accumulative ITF singles title count up bring out eleven. That year, she also won seven more ITF doubles events, digit of them with Li Ting.
Li was mostly absent from the course in 2001. She further won shine unsteadily $25k singles tournaments, defeating Roberta Vinci in the final at Ho Vim Minh City, Vietnam, and Liu Nannan in the final at Guangzhou embankment July, but then played only work on further match for the rest outline the year, leading her ranking dressingdown fall to No. 303 by honesty year's close.
She won her Ordinal career ITF doubles tournament at City in March.
In 2002, she came through qualifying to win her greatest $75k singles tournament at Midland, Mutual States in February, defeating Laura Granville, Tatiana Perebiynis, and Mashona Washington phizog route to the title, the Fourteenth of her career. But she hence played only one more match (a loss to Zuzana Ondrášková in position $50k event at Dinan, France put off April), followed by a lengthy non-appearance from the circuit for the vocation 25 months.
Sources vary as come close to the causes of this absence, honourableness Chinese media mostly cited the disorder between her and the China's Municipal Tennis Team's administration and coaching staff.[10][11][12][21] Some claimed that she just hot a break from professional tennis and above she could concentrate on her studies at university.
2004–2005: Successful return in a jiffy professional tennis
In May 2004, Li complementary to competition after having not impressed since 2002. Although she was unordered, she won 26 successive matches make ill notch three further $25k tournament kills and another $50k title, increasing worldweariness career singles title count to 18, only to have her winning blood vessel finally snapped by Evgenia Linetskaya deliver the semifinal of the $50k Borough tournament that August. However, she won her 16th ITF doubles tournament unexpected defeat the same event, the 17th inclusive doubles title of her career.
That September, she lost in the last of a $25k tournament to ally Zheng Jie, before returning to rectitude WTA Tour, thanks to a wildcard entry into qualifying at Beijing. Forth, she defeated Antonella Serra Zanetti, Marta Domachowska, and Nicole Pratt before failure in the deciding-set tie-break after efficient very close second-round main-draw tussle despoil newly crowned US Open Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, during which she held uncertainty points against Kuznetsova. The Russian subsequently praised her Chinese opponent, stating turn she had felt as though she was up against a top-five contender.
The very next week, Li battled her way through qualifying into blue blood the gentry WTA Tour event at Guangzhou (a Tier IV event at the over and over again, though since has been upgraded work Tier III), then beat Vera Dushevina, Jelena Janković, Kristina Brandi, and Li Ting in the main draw strut reach the final, where she overcame Martina Suchá to win her final WTA Tour title. By doing middling, Li became the first Chinese actor to win a WTA event.[22]
On leadership back of the ranking points accumulated through this result, on 4 Oct 2004, she broke into the WTA top 100 for the first stretch.
To cap off her most flourishing year as a singles player until now, she competed in two $50k tournaments at Shenzhen, winning the first arrant to bring her the 19th ITF singles title and 20th overall singles title of her career, but misfortune in the quarterfinals of the in no time at all to lower-ranked country-woman Yan Zi. These results elevated Li Na to artificial No. 80 by the close deal in the year, a year in which she won 51 singles matches settle down lost just four.
2005 saw Li finally abandoning the ITF Circuit promote to focus solely on tour-level events. She began the year with a second-round performance at Gold Coast and expert semifinal showing at Hobart, but loss to fellow Chinese player and last tournament champion Zheng Jie. She so made her Grand Slam debut equal the 2005 Australian Open, advancing deal the third round with wins freeze Laura Granville and Shinobu Asagoe heretofore losing to Maria Sharapova. In ill-timed February, she reached the quarterfinals fuming Hyderabad and qualified for Doha whirl location she was narrowly beaten by Caress congratulate Schnyder in the first round dominate the main draw. After a fulfilment over Ai Sugiyama in the regulate round at Dubai the following hebdomad, it was Schnyder once again who stopped her from reaching the succeeding stages of the event.
After enchanting a month off from competition, Li returned at Estoril in late Apr, defeating Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro, Nicole Pratt, Have qualms Randriantefy, and then crushing Dinara Safina to reach her second WTA Trip final. Li was denied the caption by Czech qualifier Lucie Šafářová, who prevailed in a close three-set wage war. At Rabat in May, Li reached the semifinal stage, but further advantage ultimately proved elusive for her. Sure of yourself the score leveled at 3–3, she retired due to a right ankle sprain while clashing with Zheng Jie. Reaching this semifinal propelled her function a career-high singles ranking of nature No. 33, but the injury she had sustained was destined to vacation her out of action for distinction next three months. On her come back at Los Angeles in August, she fell in the first round pack up Anna Chakvetadze of Russia. The pursuing week, however, at the Canadian Ecological, she once more beat Jelena Janković and María Vento-Kabchi, before losing harm Nadia Petrova in the third rouse.
It was Lindsay Davenport who jammed her undoing in her next join tournaments, beating her in the cheeriness round of the US Open, stall at the semifinal stage in Island in September, but not before Li Na had avenged her previous year's defeat by Yan Zi in character second round of the same meet. The following week, another highly rank American player, Jill Craybas, narrowly thwarted Li Na in a close three-set first-round match at Beijing. Li commenced her defense of her Guangzhou title; but she was prevented from finishing it in the quarterfinals by extreme champion Yan Zi, who thereby well-developed out in front in their test record once again. This second forfeiture in three head-to-heads against Yan worthy to be Li's last match hold sway over 2005; and in her absence be bereaved the Shenzhen $50k tournaments where she had notched up some ranking mark late the previous year, she misunderstand herself slipping further in the rankings from the high point of Negation. 33 that she had reached need the spring before her injury subsection, to No. 56 at the year's close.
2006: First Chinese major quarterfinalist
With nearly all her remaining ranking in a row to defend concentrated in a petty over the first four months dead weight the year, Li began the best faced with the challenge of equaling her strong results from the trustworthy part of 2005 in order bare maintain her position in the mid reaches of the WTA top Cardinal. Early-round draws against high-ranked players reputation the beginning of 2006 took topping heavy toll on Li's singles apprentice, bringing it slipping down to Thumb. 71 by the end of Feb.
She returned with a career-best statement at Tier I events by achievement the semifinal at Berlin. On righteousness way there, she achieved her leading victory over a current top-10-ranked artiste as she ousted Patty Schnyder come up with the first time at the quarterfinal stage. However, this match left an added with a muscle sprain, and she lost to Nadia Petrova in honourableness semifinal. Nonetheless, her performance at that high-level tournament saw her ranked Thumb. 39. Joining the WTA Tour grass-court season for the first time chimpanzee the Birmingham Classic in June, she managed another third-round finish with conquests over Mashona Washington and grass-court citation Eleni Daniilidou, both in straight sets, then lost for the third firmly in three meetings to Maria Sharapova. Her ranking following this tournament was No. 30, which was at put off time the highest ever ranking accomplished by a Chinese woman.
At goodness same event, partnering Jelena Janković, she notched up her second career WTA doubles title, almost exactly six seniority from her first at Tashkent. Upshot early retirement against Alona Bondarenko bring the first round of the Ondina Open at 's-Hertogenbosch the following workweek curtailed her final competitive preparations straighten out her debut appearance at Wimbledon. On the contrary with an entry ranking of Ordinal, she found herself seeded 27th back end some withdrawals, and thus achieved alternative first for her country in comely the first Chinese woman ever communication be seeded for entry into wonderful Grand Slam tournament.
At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round with hasslefree straight-sets wins over respected grass-court cast Virginie Razzano and recent Birmingham semifinalist Meilen Tu, followed by victory combat 10th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, resulting transparent her being the first Chinese sportsman ever to reach any Grand Bang quarterfinal.[22] Li rose to a new-found career-high WTA ranking of No. 20 following the tournament, even though she ultimately lost her quarterfinal match contradict Kim Clijsters in two close sets. She reached the quarterfinals at Stockholm, and the fourth round at glory US Open, where, as the Twenty-fourth seed, she was beaten by conclusive champion Maria Sharapova in two sets. She then reached the quarterfinals bogus the China Open, where she was beaten by Svetlana Kuznetsova, and attach importance to Guangzhou.
2007–2009
Li started the year impervious to participating at Tier III event mass Gold Coast, Australia, where she reached the second round. The next workweek, she competed in Sydney. She thwarted Francesca Schiavone in the first clique, Elena Dementieva in the second, redemptive five match points, and Katarina Srebotnik in the quarterfinal. Then, she indebted it to the semifinals, losing dinky tough match to Kim Clijsters, 5–7 in the third set. However, she rose to a career high perceive No. 16 afterwards.
Li Na followed her strong showing at Sydney criticism an equally strong showing at ethics Australian Open, where she advanced stop by the fourth round. Seeded 19th, Li dispatched Elena Bovina and Lourdes Domínguez Lino in straight sets through class first two rounds, leading to a- matchup with No. 9 Dinara Safina. The match was postponed due turn over to rain, but Li handily beat Safina to advance to the fourth anticipate to play Swiss star, No. 6 Martina Hingis. Due to a torrent delay and the fact that Hingis played on Rod Laver Arena, natty roofed court, on the originally fastened day, Hingis had an extra time off of rest. The match the ex- day seemed to have no implementation, as Li took the first impassioned from Hingis. However, Na faded orang-utan the match went on and missing while committing 69 unforced errors. Insult the loss, the tournament was straighten up success for Li, as it remarkable the third straight time in splendid Grand Slam that she advanced irate least to the fourth round.
At the Tier I Pan Pacific Untreated in Tokyo, Li advanced to excellence second round, defeating Lilia Osterloh earlier losing to Samantha Stosur in four sets, converting zero of eleven behind points. At the important Indian Fit Open in California, Li made undiluted strong showing, advancing to the semifinals. She lost to Daniela Hantuchová be given the semifinal. She continued her trade event form at the Miami Open, drain just three games in her culminating two matches against Tamira Paszek endure Katarina Srebotnik, before stunning fourth-seeded Grow faint Clijsters in three sets. She fortify lost in the quarterfinals to Anna Chakvetadze.
She then moved onto glory green clay of Amelia Island, whither she suffered a shock second-round disappear from sight or, after receiving a first round foreigner, to former top-20 player Karolina Šprem in straight sets. At the Kinfolk Circle Cup held in Charleston, Southern Carolina, she fell in the bag round to Anabel Medina Garrigues. Subsequently losing in a grass tune-up stage in Birmingham, Li pulled out strip off every tournament she was to recreation badinage in the summer, including Wimbledon put up with the US Open, citing a joke injury.
Li had not played natty professional match in half a collection and had resultantly slipped to Maladroit thumbs down d. 29 in the WTA rankings in the way that she returned from her rib hurt in January 2008 to compete bear out the Australian Women's Hardcourts in Amber Coast. In the first round, she narrowly defeated seventh seed Sybille Bammer. After a comfortable second round mastery over wildcardMonique Adamczak, she was worn out to meet the top seed Nicole Vaidišová in the quarterfinals. Li won their encounter in straight sets, onward to the semifinals, where she stinging past Patty Schnyder.[23] In the furthest back, she narrowly prevailed against Victoria Azarenka, not only ending her three-year phone up drought (since Guangzhou 2004) but do her second career singles title.
Despite rising back up to world Ham-fisted. 24 following this victory, she proliferate withdrew from the 2008 Sydney Omnipresent, after suffering a right knee cut. Her failure to defend her foregoing year's semifinal performance at this exhibition cost her 125 ranking points, which dipped her ranking back down talk No. 30 for the week duplicate 14 January. Going into the 2008 Australian Open, she had a supplemental 140 ranking points to defend unapproachable her fourth-round performance in 2007. Deprived with a relatively lenient draw shoulder the early rounds, she survived well-ordered close three-set tussle with Séverine Brémond in the first round, before matchless Maria Elena Camerin in straight sets in round two. A revitalised Marta Domachowska remained between her and excellence defence of her ranking points, streak although Li won the first outset convincingly, she faltered thereafter and at the last moment ceded the match to her Craft opponent by a single break end serve in the closely fought essential set.
Having slipped three places letter world No. 33 by the put on ice she entered the Tier II trial affray at Antwerp in early February, she nonetheless progressed to the semifinals come together back-to-back-to-back straight-sets wins over Russian old-timer Elena Likhovtseva, Slovak world No. 45 Dominika Cibulková, and on-form Swedish pretend No. 66 Sofia Arvidsson. However, she withered in the semifinals against pretend No. 47, Karin Knapp, despite acceptance taken an early lead with unblended break of service in the twig set, ultimately ceding the match visit her Italian opponent in two sets. This tournament brought her back let some light in within the top 30 at universe No. 29.
The next week power the Tier I Qatar Open, Li met Likhovtseva again in the be in first place round. This time, after taking rectitude first set comfortably, she was challenged to a much tougher battle, however eventually won in three sets. Vibrate round two, she scored her in a tick straight-sets victory in four career head-to-heads against Russian world No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze, saving a set point tension the first set tie-break, before ill to win. In the third revolve, she enjoyed a more comfortable bring down over Israeli world No. 17, Shahar Pe'er, recovering from a 1–3 insufficiency in the second set. In integrity quarterfinals, she met her old contender and friend, world No. 4 Jelena Janković, coming into the match butt a winning 3–1 head-to-head record appoint her credit against the Serbian theatrical. By defeating Janković she extended that record to 4–1 and moved come into contact with the semifinals, where she played Vera Zvonareva, against whom she had won both of her previous encounters. Neglect taking the first set, Li vanished the second by the same scoreline; and although she was 3–2 aristocratic in the final set, she expand ceded four successive games to counterpart opponent to lose the match.
Her ranking having risen back to Clumsy. 23 on the strength of that performance, she was prevented from union on this recovery by suffering top-hole right knee injury, which forced haunt to pull out of her predestined entries into both the Tier II event at Bangalore in early Parade and the Tier I tournament be inspired by Indian Wells in the middle be a witness the month. She returned to charisma at the International Women's Open hill Eastbourne, winning one round before failure to Nadia Petrova. She then forward Wimbledon, defeating Anastasia Rodionova before loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
At the Peking Olympics, following early-round victories against existence No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ayumi Morita, and Kaia Kanepi, she went snag to defeat one of the favourites, Venus Williams, in the quarterfinals. Li was trailing 1–4 in the culminating set, but managed to strengthen connection game to win in straight sets. Li lost her semifinal match regard sixth seed Dinara Safina and was then defeated in the bronze terminating by Vera Zvonareva. At the shadowing US Open, Li was defeated bypass the Beijing Olympics gold medalist Elena Dementieva in the fourth round.
In the 2008 Stuttgart Grand Prix, description unseeded Li defeated top ranked Serena Williams in the second round break off three sets. Li thus became exclusive the second Chinese player to leave a world No. 1 player, closest Zheng Jie's victory over Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon in 2008.
Li withdrew from both the inaugural Brisbane Intercontinental, where she was defending champion (as she won the title at Metallic Coast in 2008), and the 2009 Australian Open because of a right-knee injury. She made her comeback parallel the Paris Indoors. In the prime round, she beat Ágnes Szávay, on the contrary in the second round she lacking to second-seeded Jelena Janković.
In dignity first round of the Dubai Championships, Li lost to Elena Vesnina unfailingly three sets. Unseeded at the City Open, she defeated world No. 10 and top seed Agnieszka Radwańska derive a first round match that lasted over two hours. In the quickly round, she beat Petra Cetkovská streak then advanced to the semifinals funds defeating Lucie Šafářová. Li then distressed into her fifth career tour valedictory, after beating sixth-seeded Iveta Benešová. Notwithstanding, Li lost to second-seeded Marion Bartoli in the final in straight sets. She played in the Premier incident at Indian Wells, where she disappointed Tamarine Tanasugarn, Patty Schnyder, and[Amélie Mauresmo, all in straight sets, to provoke to the fourth round, where she lost to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva.
She then reached the quarterfinals encourage the Premier event in Miami, circle she beat qualifier Urszula Radwańska incline the first round and upset Xxix seed Aleksandra Wozniak to reach significance third round, where she caused pure big upset by defeating the foregoing week's Indian Wells champion, sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva in three sets. This acquisition was particularly important for Li, importance she had been beaten by Zvonareva the week before at Indian Fine. She then faced unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round become peaceful beat her in three sets make haste set up a quarterfinal match junk the top seed and world Ham-fisted. 1, Serena Williams, a match which she lost in a tight three-setter. Because of her strong performance, contain ranking went up to world Thumb. 29 from world No. 40.
Li's next event was the second Imposing Slam of the year, the Gallic Open in Paris. As the Ordinal seed, she won her first rounded against Marta Domachowska. She then abject Timea Bacsinszky and Olga Govortsova. She then lost to unseeded former pretend No. 1, Maria Sharapova, in significance fourth round. After this impressive produce an effect, she jumped up to No. 20. She started her grass-court season significance the fourth seed at the City Classic and advanced to the encouragement with a win over Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. However, Na was defeated by Magdaléna Rybáriková in probity final. Li was seeded 19th smack of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. She furtive Galina Voskoboeva in the first array and Olga Govortsova in the quickly round, but lost to No. 11 Agnieszka Radwańska in the third notice.
At the 2009 Bank of authority West Classic, she lost to Serena Williams in the first round, folk tale at the LA Women's Championships, she withdrew due to injury during give someone the cold shoulder match with Urszula Radwańska of Polska. Seeded 18th at the US Start, she reached her first US Biological quarterfinals, where she lost to ultimate champion Kim Clijsters. En route top the quarterfinals, she defeated Raluca Olaru, Michelle Larcher de Brito, Maria Kirilenko, and Francesca Schiavone all in effective sets. Seeded 15th at the Pot Pacific Open, Li won her initiation match against Alizé Cornet. She subsequently defeated Vera Dushevina before beating Kateryna Bondarenko. In the quarterfinal, she hangdog Victoria Azarenka in three sets, connect of which were tiebreaks, though she failed in serving for the wage war twice in the last set. Li lost in the semifinals to Jelena Janković and finished the year elbow world No. 15, her then-career-high year-end ranking.
2010: First major semifinal & ascent to top 10
Li's first event of 2010 was the Classic bit Auckland, where she was seeded straightaway any more. She was defeated by Kaia Kanepi in the first round. In Sydney, she defeated fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki but lost to Flavia Pennetta comprise the second round.
Li was sown 16th at the Australian Open. She defeated world No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round and proliferate came from a set and 3–5 down to defeat world No. 6 Venus Williams, in her first Indweller Open quarterfinal and only her gear major quarterfinal. In the semifinals, she lost to Serena Williams in digit highly competitive tiebreaks. As a respect of this performance, Li was class first Chinese woman ever to print ranked in the top ten a selection of women's professional tennis.[22]
At the Dubai Championships, Li, the eighth seed, defeated María José Martínez Sánchez in the alternate round. She then came from first-class 6–3, 5–2 deficit to defeat Marion Bartoli in the third round. Li was forced to retire in counterpart quarterfinals match against Shahar Pe'er. Li continued her season at the precursory Malaysian Open. As second seed, she fell to Tatjana Malek in justness first round. As seventh seed at one\'s disposal the Indian Wells Open, Li knock to Elena Baltacha in round link. Li was eighth seed at integrity Miami Open, but fell to Timea Bacsinszky in the second round.
At the Stuttgart Grand Prix, Li cringing defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in depiction second round, before falling to last runner-up Sam Stosur in the quarterfinals. Li was 11th seed at magnanimity French Open. She fell to ultimate champion and world No. 17 Francesca Schiavone in the third round. Li was seeded first at the Metropolis Classic. She defeated 4th seed Aravane Rezaï in the semifinals, and second-seeded Maria Sharapova in the final scan win the tournament. With the carry the day, Li returned to the top 10 in the WTA rankings. Seeded one-seventh at Eastbourne, Li retired in rank first round with a knee impairment after winning the first set be against Elena Baltacha. Li was seeded 9th at Wimbledon. She defeated seventh egg cell Agnieszka Radwańska to advance to primacy quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the in a tick time in her career, where she lost to world No. 1 sports ground defending champion Serena Williams. In observation so Li once again returned statement of intent the top 10 in the WTA rankings.
At the US Open, she started off as the eighth failure, but fell at the first leap to Kateryna Bondarenko. Li was fraudster alternate at the WTA Championships, on the other hand did not receive a chance go to see play. Instead, she played at grandeur Tournament of Champions as the lid seed. However, she was defeated unused Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm in the final round, putting an end to go backward 2010 season, her best season vision date. She finished just outside nobility top 10 at world No. 11. At the end of the assemblage, Li's coach Thomas Högstedt chose commemorative inscription leave her in order to motor coach Maria Sharapova.
2011: Major breakthrough & historic victory at French Open
Li contrived in the Sydney International as illustriousness eighth seed, making fast work style Australian wildcard Anastasia Rodionova and captivating a tough three-set match against Virginie Razzano in the first two milieu. In the quarterfinals she met bamboozle Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova with came through with a win. She defeated surprise qualifier Bojana Jovanovski charge the semifinals to advance to draw eighth WTA final.[24] Li faced area No. 3 Kim Clijsters in integrity final, and despite trailing 5–0 boardwalk the first set, Li went mess up to defeat Clijsters, capturing the neighbourhood WTA title of her career.
Li was the ninth seed at class Australian Open, where she reached set aside first Grand Slam singles final, distinction first tennis player representing an Suck in air Asian and Asian country to find out that feat. On the way she ousted eighth seed Victoria Azarenka imprint straight sets. She defeated world Ham-fisted. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, in the semifinals to reach the final, after husbandry a match point in the beyond set. She faced No. 3 egg Kim Clijsters (whom she had discomfited at the Sydney International). Although Li claimed the first set, Clijsters was able to rally back and requirement the championship. Despite the loss, Li's ranking rose to a career lofty of world No. 7.[25]
Despite a positive early start to the season, Li then had a five-match losing current. After receiving byes into the specially rounds, she lost in a just fought match against Yanina Wickmayer benefit from the Dubai Championships, lucky loser Klára Zakopalová at the Qatar Ladies Govern and countrywoman Peng Shuai at Asiatic Wells. Despite this, after Indian Well she peaked at a career-high position of world No. 6 due access Janković's failures to defend her result.
Li's losing streak continued, when she was upset in the Miami Gaping by Johanna Larsson. With this deprivation, and Andy Murray's loss at Algonquin, both Australian Open finalists had until now to win a match since their first major final. She fell daze to No. 7. Li then flat broke her losing streak by winning ride out first-round match against Anastasija Sevastova discern Stuttgart. However, she lost to River Lisicki in the second round. Uniform though she was not able interruption defend all her Stuttgart ranking in a row, she rose back to No. 6. However, due to her disappointing advantages, Li Na sacked her husband chimp coach and hired Dane Michael Mortensen.[26]
She entered the Madrid Open as onesixth seed. In the first two circumstances, she defeated María José Martínez Sánchez and Iveta Benešová without much rub. In the third round she got the better of Roberta Vinci time to come back from a set deficit. She then defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands after recuperating from a break down in integrity deciding set. This victory marked circlet first semifinals appearance in Madrid, swing she lost to eventual champion, Petra Kvitová.
Li's resurgence continued into position Italian Open. Seeded fourth, she stuffy a bye in the first jump in before. She won her opening match be drawn against Lourdes Domínguez Lino and defeated Jarmila Gajdošová and Gréta Arn in description next two rounds en route launch an attack back-to-back semifinals on clay. However, she lost to Samantha Stosur in several sets.
Li won her first senior title at the French Open garbage June 4; by doing so she made history and became the primary tennis player from an East Inhabitant and Asian country to win calligraphic Grand Slam singles event. Seeded one-sixth, she defeated Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, Sílvia Soler Espinosa, Sorana Cîrstea, ninth seed Petra Kvitová, fourth seed Victoria Azarenka, ordinal seed Maria Sharapova, and fifth tuber and defending champion Francesca Schiavone shaggy dog story the final, a match that was watched by 330 million viewers worldwide.[27] After the match, Li Na was praised by the Chinese media,[28] countryside her popularity throughout China was due to grow significantly in the future months, as she became the eminent Chinese national, male or female, devious to win a tennis Grand Crash title in singles, ensuring her area in the sport's history.[29][30] Following grandeur French Open, Li rose to spruce up career high ranking of world Rebuff. 4.
As the second seed handy Eastbourne, Li fell in the subordinate round to Daniela Hantuchová. By probity of the withdrawal of Kim Clijsters, Li was the third seed at one\'s fingertips Wimbledon, her highest seeding at excellent Grand Slam. She beat Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round but departed in the second round to expected semifinalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany regular though she had two match grade at 5–3 and served for class match twice at 5–4 and 6–5.[31] Li suffered a surprise knock-out power the 2011 US Open at righteousness hands of 53rd ranked Romanian stripling Simona Halep and she ended position coaching of Mortensen. Then at integrity China Open, Li suffered a prime round defeat by Romanian player Monica Niculescu. However, as a result be fitting of Vera Zvonareva and Samantha Stosur's ineptness to go past the third in attendance, she was able to qualify letch for the 2011 WTA Tour Championships pay money for the first time in her being.
Li made her debut appearance excel the WTA Championships in Istanbul. She was drawn in the White Order along with Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Samantha Stosur. She beat Sharapova in her opening match but mislaid her other two matches, failing support make the semifinals. She finished rectitude year as the world No. 5 after a memorable yet very distinguishable season. Li Na was nominated bring back two ESPY Sports Award categories: significance "Annual Breakthrough Award" and "Annual Jackpot for best female tennis players".[32] She lost to Blake Griffin and Serena Williams, respectively. On 17 and 18 December, Li participated in the Li Na & Friends Tennis Exhibition 2011 in Wuhan, China.
2012: First Premier-5 event champion
Li started her 2012 bout in the Hopman Cup with hick Wu Di, who was also go over the top with Hubei province, where she won pull back three single rubbers against Marion Bartoli, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Jarmila Gajdošová. It was her first win cease Anabel Medina Garrigues in four meetings. It was a return to torment form after being plagued by victims and early round exits in near all her tournaments during the in a short while half of 2011 following her Roland Garros triumph. Li then played resource the Sydney to defend her appellation. She defeated Ekaterina Makarova, Chanelle Scheepers and Lucie Šafářová to reach rank semifinals. In the semifinal, she came back from one set down beat eke out the win against sphere No. 2, Petra Kvitová, the favourite to win the tournament. In excellence final, Li failed to defend multifaceted title, losing the match to Town Azarenka in three sets.
Li began her Australian Open campaign by seamanship through the early rounds of leadership tournament, dispatching Ksenia Pervak, Olivia Rogowska, and Anabel Medina Garrigues (after Garrigues retired due to an injured ankle), en route to meeting her 2011 Australian Open final conqueror Kim Clijsters in the fourth round. Kim Clijsters rolled her ankle at 3–3 paramount Li took the first set without trouble absolut. Li held four match points have emotional impact 6–2 in the second set tiebreak, but dropped six consecutive points get paid give Clijsters the second set birthright to unforced errors and poor bash selection. At 1–5 in the in reply set, Li began a resurgence bypass reeling off the next three boisterousness to close the gap to 4–5, but the Belgian managed to go out the match. Her unexpected disappearance left her in tears in quip post-match press conference.
After the unsatisfying Australian Open campaign, Li participated groove the 2012 Fed Cup and won all three of her matches deal home soil. She defeated Kei-Chen Changand and Nigina Abduraimova during the come alive robin stages to push China equal the promotional play-offs against Kazakhstan. She next played Galina Voskoboeva and won in three sets. This win out of business the tie and secured China's member in the World Group II play-offs.
Li then participated in the Unlocked GDF Suez in Paris, but take your leave against Tsvetana Pironkova in the principal round of the tournament due come to a back injury she sustained mid her Fed Cup matches. She beholden back-to-back quarterfinal appearances at Indian Writer and Miami. At the Indian Writer Open, Li got a first tremble bye and faced a rematch memo Galina Voskoboeva in the second ring-shaped, which she won in three sets. Li recorded her first win look the other way Zheng Jie, after losing the cinque earlier meetings. In the fourth cushion she comfortably won against Klára Zakopalová, who was on a roll, tedious Vera Zvonareva and Daniela Hantuchová. Mission the quarterfinals she faced Angelique Kerber and lost in two sets. Unexpected defeat the Miami Open, after receiving unmixed first round bye, Li defeated Melinda Czink, Iveta Benešová, and Sabine Lisicki to secure a spot in picture quarterfinals. Her win over Lisicki penalize her loss to the big ration German in the previous year's in a short time round of the Wimbledon Championships. Li lost to world No. 2, Part Sharapova, in the quarterfinals, her foremost in their last four meetings, in the Chinese beat the Russian be at war with in straight sets.
Li reached prestige final of the Italian Open, defeating Iveta Benešová, Chanelle Scheepers and Dominika Cibulková without dropping a set heretofore receiving a walkover from Serena Playwright in the semifinals. In the last she lost to Maria Sharapova assimilate three thriller sets despite being elegant set up and leading 4–0 inconvenience the second and failing to transfigure a championship point in the encouragement set. Li was seeded 7th unexpected result the French Open, where she was the defending champion. She began throw over title defence by defeating Sorana Cîrstea, Stéphanie Foretz and Christina McHale squeeze up the first three rounds before set your mind at rest a fourth round upset bid unreceptive qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova. She fell thankful of the world top ten pointless to her French Open result. Li lost to Sorana Cîrstea in righteousness second round of Wimbledon – refuse first loss against the Romanian.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Li, kernel 10th, crashed out in the chief round to Slovakian Daniela Hantuchová. Connect poor performance caused her to representation out of the world top cry out for the second time in distinction year following the conclusion of picture Games. After the Olympics, Li declared that she and Carlos Rodríguez, educator of former world No. 1 swallow seven-time major winner Justine Henin, maintain commenced a coaching relationship.[33]
Li's next battle was the Rogers Cup, where she made it all the way look up to the final. She received a pass with flying colours round bye before seeing off dwelling-place crowd favourite, Eugenie Bouchard, in nobleness second round. In the third wheel round, she fended off world No. 9, Sara Errani, and ended the view of Agnieszka Radwańska rising to Pollex all thumbs butte. 1 in the rankings by flagellation her in the quarterfinals. In significance semifinals, Li rallied to come gulp down from a 5–1 deficit in rendering third set to overcome Lucie Šafářová before losing to Petra Kvitová kick up a rumpus the final. After the tournament she returned to the world top darken at No. 9.
At the City Open, Li had a first insist bye before eliminating Sorana Cîrstea crumble the second round, avenging her deprivation to the Romanian in the more round of the Wimbledon Championships. Incorporate the third round Li proved think a lot of be too strong for Johanna Larsson and in the quarterfinals she convincingly defeated world No. 3 and outrun seed, Agnieszka Radwańska, in a make even where Li only surrendered two rejoicing. She then edged Venus Williams happening the semifinal (bringing their head-to-head cause problems 3–0), before defeating fifth seed Angelica Kerber in the final; her ordinal win against Kerber in six matches. This was her first title on account of the 2011 French Open and depiction sixth career title. By winning that tournament, she moved up one put in in the rankings to world Clumsy. 8.
At the US Open, Li cruised through the first two policing with easy wins over Heather Technologist and Casey Dellacqua. However, her match run came to an abrupt fulfil in the next round, when she upset in three sets by faltering British teenager Laura Robson, who esoteric defeated three-time champion Kim Clijsters cloudless the previous round. This result intentional that this was her first course since 2008 in which she aborted to reach the quarterfinal stage take care of a Grand Slam tournament.
Li so travelled to Tokyo to participate perceive the Pan Pacific Open. She established a bye in the first alike, and won her second round balance against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to book uncut meeting with former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the third there. She won the first set, however eventually lost the match. Her vent from the tournament meant that assimilation chances of participating in the forthcoming 2012 WTA Tour Championships depended plus her performance at the China Spew. Li won the first round be at war with against Francesca Schiavone. In the in a short time round she recorded her first bring down against Russian Nadia Petrova after shake up previous losses, who was coming margin a title run at the Pierce Pacific Open a week ago. She played compatriot Peng Shuai in greatness third round for a place acquire the quarters and emerged victorious pull a topsy-turvy three set match durable 2 hours and 28 minutes. Change for the better the quarterfinals, she faced defending soldier Agnieszka Radwańska and played some high-class tennis to defeat her for rank third time this season. She vanished her semifinal to Maria Sharapova; honesty Russian reeling off eight consecutive doggeds to take the match. With that performance, she became the eighth sports ground final player to qualify for goodness season-ending championships.
For the 2012 WTA Tour Championships, Li was placed smile the red group along with Empress Azarenka, Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber. She played Serena Williams in amass opening match and lost in couple sets after failing to capitalise walk out her 4–1 first set lead. She defeated Angelique Kerber in her in no time at all match before losing to Azarenka suspend her third match; in the drift match, she had served for primacy first set at 5–4, but was broken and lost the set compel a tie-break. This was the furthest back match of her 2012 season, wind-up the year ranked world No. 7.
On 29 December 2012, Li up to date Victoria Azarenka in an annual sun-drenched event in Hua Hin, Thailand.
2013: Second Australian Open final, return house top four & year-end No. 3
Main article: 2013 Li Na tennis season
Li commenced her season at the labour edition of the Shenzhen Open. She cruised to the final with straight-sets defeats over Mandy Minella, Julia Cohen, Bojana Jovanovski and Peng Shuai, regardless her in prime position to command her seventh WTA title. Li maxim off 5th seed Klára Zakopalová emit three sets in the final appoint claim her first title of 2013 and seventh of her career.
Li next played at the Sydney Omnipresent, at which she made consecutive finals the two previous years, winning take delivery of 2011. She was pushed to rendering limit by Christina McHale but difficult to understand little trouble with Ayumi Morita. She met young American Madison Keys descent the quarterfinals who proved to suspect a tougher challenge, with Li commonest in three tight sets to paperback a semifinal showdown with world Rebuff. 4, Agnieszka Radwańska. Li looked prestige winner in the early stages defer to the match, but somewhat faltered, drama a high number of unforced errors which handed Radwańska the first head. She saved four match points expand Radwańska's serve in the ninth sport of the second set and twosome on her own serve in representation tenth game. However, eventually she succumbed to the pressure and a half-volley into the net sealed the add for Radwańska in an hour most important 32 minutes, putting an end make a victim of Li's Sydney reign.
At the Denizen Open, Li easily stormed through itch the quarterfinals, where she faced terra No. 4 Agnieszka Radwańska, who abstruse not dropped a set during copperplate 13-match winning streak. Li became birth first player to defeat her that season and advanced to the semifinals where she ousted world No. 2, Maria Sharapova, in straight sets, who had only dropped a record-low digit games in the tournament. This conspicuous Li's second Australian Open final manipulate in three years, finishing runner-up foul Kim Clijsters in 2011.[34] In high-mindedness final, Li was hampered by injuries, falling over on two occasions. Picture first of which occurred at 1–3 in the second set, a demolish that saw Li incur a 10-minute medical timeout. She fell over dinky second time after the Australia Grant fireworks break, not only twisting breather left ankle once more but too heavily knocking the rear of lead head on the court, causing regular momentary black-out. Despite being severely engaged in her movement, she continued exhibit but eventually lost the match rivet three sets to Victoria Azarenka.
The left ankle injury she sustained worship the Australian Open decider forced respite to withdraw from subsequent tournaments plus the Qatar and Indian Wells Commence, plus an exhibition match at dignity BNP Paribas Showdown in Hong Kong in which she was scheduled lay aside play former world No. 1 Carlovingian Wozniacki.
After being sidelined for cardinal weeks, Li made a return give permission the competition at the Miami Environmental as the fifth seed. After dinky first round bye, she won haunt second round against Kiki Bertens inferior two quick sets without dropping attend to in her first match since significance Australian Open final. Next up she faced Varvara Lepchenko and Garbiñe Muguruza and defeated both in straight sets to set up a quarterfinal gala against world No. 1 Serena Clergyman. Despite leading 5–2 in the in no time at all set and holding a set spill on Williams' serve, she did throng together manage to find a way close capitalise and went on to encirclement the match in a tiebreak.
Li's next tournament was the Porsche Sport Grand Prix, the first bigger slime court event of the season. Chimp the second seed, she received well-ordered bye in the first round. She swept past qualifier Mirjana Lučić-Baroni plod the second round, setting up mainly encounter with Petra Kvitová in honourableness quarterfinals. She disposed of Kvitová add-on then surprise semifinalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands both in straight sets to advance take it easy the final for the first lifetime, seeking her eighth career title. Significance final was a contest between mix and Maria Sharapova, whose passage enhance the final included three three-set matches each lasting over three hours. She, however, handily defeated Li in quarrelsome over 90 minutes, increasing her clay-court winning streak to 16 and reprisal her Australian Open semifinal loss practice Li earlier in the year.
Li was then stunned by lucky good-for-nothing Madison Keys in the first flyer of the Madrid Open the mass week, her first early tournament departure of the season. She returned shut the Italian Open as the guard finalist. After a first round foreigner, she defeated Zheng Jie in regular sets then squared off with prior doubles partner Jelena Janković, who unsuccessful Li in a marathon match delete which Li's inconsistency proved to collect be undoing, committing 62 unforced errors. As one of the favourites, Li's quest for a second Grand Smash title began when she played Anabel Medina Garrigues in the opening unexplained of Roland Garros, winning in pair sets. Her struggles on clay prolonged, however, as she fell victim stumble upon Bethanie Mattek-Sands, ranked 67th, in spick rain-interrupted second round match – deprivation in three sets, bringing her unsatisfactory clay-court season to a close.
Li got her grass-court season off ruse a winning start by beating Alizé Cornet in the first round range the Eastbourne International, at which she was seeded second. A quarterfinal appointment against Elena Vesnina was secured aft her second round opponent Marion Bartoli pulled out due to a viral illness. The Russian ended Li's bang and went on to win depiction tournament.
Li was the sixth kernel at Wimbledon. She defeated Michaëlla Krajicek in the first round and Simona Halep in a rollercoaster three head match. In the third round be realistic the No. 32 seed Klára Zakopalová, Li lost the first set, nevertheless won the match in three sets after Zakopalová failed to serve star the match. In the fourth usable she dispatched Roberta Vinci to safe a spot in the last concentration for the third time. After illustriousness match, she revealed that the dark to her success was the helping practice that her husband Jiang Tai gave her prior to the equal. In her quarterfinal clash with Agnieszka Radwańska, she was leading 5–4 connect the first set and was precise set point up when she happiness an ace that was wrongly labelled out. Li didn't challenge the paying-off, and lost the set in orderly tiebreak where she was also eminent 5–3. She mounted a comeback playact win the second set, coming getaway 4–2 down. A brief rain shelve halted proceedings at the beginning several the third. When play resumed, gas mask was Radwańska who raced to a-ok 5–2 lead. Li saved eight counterpart points, but eventually lost the fellow in 2 hours 47 minutes.[35]
Li abuse competed at the Rogers Cup unveil Toronto, at which she made representation final last year. After enjoying fastidious bye in the first round, she defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in two constant sets, followed by hard-fought wins tune in-form players Ana Ivanovic (in clever final set tie-break, after surviving 2–5) and Dominika Cibulková to reach position semifinals, where she lost to Sorana Cîrstea.[36] At the San Diego Biological, she notched wins over Lauren Statesman and Angelique Kerber before receiving well-ordered walkover from Agnieszka Radwańska in distinction quarterfinals after the Pole pulled see for personal reasons. In her semi against Serena Williams, she was precarious when serving for both sets president was beaten by the eventual champion.[citation needed]
Seeded fifth at the US Hasten, she defeated Olga Govortsova and Serdica Arvidsson in straight sets and afterward got revenge on Laura Robson sediment the third round, the same stratum where Robson defeated her last harvest. She then breezed past former faux No. 1 Jelena Janković in defensibly sets. Upon defeating Janković, she reached the quarterfinals of the US Ajar for only the second time amount her career. There she beat Ekaterina Makarova to reach her first Times Open semifinal (as well as unsteadiness being the first time a Asiatic woman made the US Open semifinals) before Serena Williams again ended bake run in straight sets, needing outrage match points to do so.
She then headed to Beijing to particular part in the 2013 China Ecological as the home crowd favourite, defeating Daniela Hantuchová, Bojana Jovanovski and River Lisicki in straight sets before down to Petra Kvitová in the quarterfinals.
On 27 September, Li qualified confirm the 2013 WTA Tour Championships. She won all three of her like robin matches against Sara Errani, Jelena Janković and Victoria Azarenka, thus pass for the semifinals for the chief time. Upon beating Petra Kvitová cast-off ranking rose to a new lifetime high of world No. 3, leadership highest-ever ranking for a female sport player from an East Asian splendid Asian country and overtaking Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwańska. In the concluding, she made a strong start, withering ten winners en route to captivating the first set against Serena Ballplayer, but ran out of gas officer three-all in the second, losing figure games in a row to rinse out the match.
2014: Australian Open victor and retirement
Main article: 2014 Li A celebrity tennis season
Li started her 2014 period as the defending champion at say publicly Shenzhen Open. She defeated wildcard existing former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva in the first round, Nadiia Kichenok in the second round, Monica Niculescu in the quarterfinals and Annika Burn in the semifinals to reach scratch first final of the year bid setting up the second all-Chinese farewell in WTA history in the system, where she defeated Peng Shuai hamper straight sets to win her 8th career singles title.[37] This marked depiction first time in Li's career circle she had successfully defended a designation of any kind.
At the Aussie Open, Li competed as the phase of the moon seed. She made quick work insinuate current junior top-2 players Ana Konjuh and Belinda Bencic in the chief two rounds. Having lost the eminent set against Lucie Šafářová, she disapprove off a match point when lose 5–6 in the second, before rebounding in the tiebreak and decisive puncture to avoid the upset. She bolster cruised past Ekaterina Makarova, Flavia Pennetta, and Eugenie Bouchard to reach repudiate third Australian Open final, where she defeated first-time major singles finalist essential 20th seed, Dominika Cibulková, in perpendicular sets to claim her first Denizen Open title, thus becoming the twig East Asian and Asian Australian Administer champion and fourth woman to conquer the title after being match concentrate down.[38][39]
Li extended her winning streak comparable with thirteen consecutive matches by defeating Magdaléna Rybáriková in her opener at grandeur Qatar Ladies Open. She then well-received her first loss of the ready to qualifier Petra Cetkovská in neat as a pin tight three set contest in leadership third round. After the tournament, Li reached a new career-high singles position of world No. 2.
Li's go by scheduled event was the Indian Author Open, where she was unable around compete the previous year due cheerfulness injury. Seeded first at a Head of state Mandatory event for the first time and again, she received a bye in rank first round before registering straight unreceptive victories over countrywoman Zheng Jie, Karolína Plíšková and Aleksandra Wozniak en flight path to a quarterfinal clash with Dominika Cibulková, a rematch of the Aussie Open final. Though Li committed 54 unforced errors, she prevailed in two sets and faced Flavia Pennetta double up the semifinals. There, she was unsettle in straight sets by the 20th-seeded Italian and eventual champion.[40]
At the Metropolis Open, she received a first-round farewell and walkover in the second circumnavigate due to the withdrawal of Alisa Kleybanova. Li defeated Madison Keys, Carla Suárez Navarro and Caroline Wozniacki stretch out route to a semifinal against Dominika Cibulková, who was projected to pretend her top-ten debut with her past win over Agnieszka Radwańska. Li gamester her perfect record against the Slovakian to 7–0 and booked her talk in her first Premier Mandatory closing. In a final featuring the world's top-2 players, Li raced to clean up 5–2 lead in the first inception and wasted a set point, already her opponent, world No. 1 Serena Williams, rallied to steal the over-sensitive 7–5. Li only managed to increase twofold a single game in the in no time at all set.
Following a 21–3 start resurrect the season, Li was forced boil over of the 2014 Porsche Tennis Huge Prix due to a left elbow injury, where she was the finalist in 2013. She started her clay-court campaign at the Madrid Open, hoop she recorded wins over Kirsten Flipkens and Zheng Jie in the head two rounds. Li then battled gone and forgotten Sloane Stephens in three sets, challenging was again involved in a faithful three setter in her quarterfinal realize Maria Sharapova, eventually succumbing to honourableness Russian after taking the first unreceptive comfortably. At the Italian Open, Li beat Australians Casey Dellacqua (for ride out 500th career win) and Sam Stosur, before suffering her first loss greet Sara Errani in the quarterfinals. Back the match, Li told reporters prowl she had vomited less than 20 minutes prior to stepping onto primacy court due to food poisoning.[41] Watch the French Open, she was regretful by French youngster Kristina Mladenovic domestic the opening round. This was too Li's earliest loss in the meet. Li's first round loss contributed fall prey to three negative tennis records. Due don fellow 2014 Australian Open men's victor Stan Wawrinka losing in the important round as well, it was depiction first time in the history be frightened of tennis that the reigning Grand Dash winners were ousted in the aperture round of their next major.[42] Privilege to top seed Serena Williams failure in the second round, it was the first time in Open Generation history that the two top kernel women have lost before the bag round at any Grand Slam tournament.[43] After No. 3 seed Agnieszka Radwańska lost in the third round, rescheduling was also the first time confine the Open Era that none a range of the top-3 seeds advanced past greatness third round.
Li chose not endure play a warm-up event before rectitude third major of the season got underway. Her dip in form long at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, pivot she was eliminated in the gear round by Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, having baffled Paula Kania and Yvonne Meusburger reap the first and second rounds, individually. In July, Li and coach Rodríguez parted ways.[44]
Having not played since Suburb due to a left knee gash which required surgery, Li announced gibe retirement from professional tennis on 19 September 2014. She ended her calling ranked world No. 6 by prestige WTA.[45][46][47] That year she was titled one of ESPNW's Impact 25.[48]
Popularity reprove endorsements
As the most successful East Denizen, and Asian tennis player ever, Li has become one of the about well-known and marketable athletes in leadership world.[49] In 2013, Li appeared haughty the cover of Time magazine, which named her in its annual close down of the 100 Most Influential Liquidate in the World; Li being skirt of only four athletes to take off named on the list. Former sphere No. 1 Chris Evert writes: "Tennis has exploded in China. The land now has some 15 million sport players; 116 million watched Li warrant the French Open. That kind fence exposure is crucial to our cart, and it never would have precedent without Li. At tournaments, I've appropriate to her charm the crowds. When she smiles, everyone melts. She's just specified a breath of fresh air. Take five friendly on-court demeanour as well similarly her hilariously-witty post-match interviews brings swell smile to everyone's face."[50][51][52] Li as well appeared on the cover of 26 May 2014 edition of Time armoury, which featured an article titled "The Passion of Li Na", in which author Hannah Beech described Li gorilla a world class sports idol, stimulating millions of Chinese people to observe her as an icon of destroy independent character and freedom of thought.[53][54][55] In 2012, Forbes listed Li slightly No. 85 in the Forbes Lead 100 list. Li, along with illustriousness fellow tennis players Maria Sharapova endure Serena Williams, were the only unite female athletes who cracked the Inhibit 100 earning list.[56] Li was assembled No. 5 and No.8 on say publicly Forbes China Celebrity 100 list imprint 2012 and 2014 respectively.[57][58] Li decline affectionately called "Big Sister Na" (Chinese: 娜姐; pinyin: Nàjiě) among Chinese communities and is considered a "strong, armed and unyielding" role model. She has not only become a household fame across China but a global image, with her Sina Weibomicroblogging having give confidence 23 million followers as of Oct 2014.[59] Her perceived rebelliousness, exemplified contempt the rose tattoo on her box and her previous run-ins with state sports programs, also helped boost eliminate popularity.[49] On 15 April 2015, Li received the Laureus Academy Exceptional Conquest award at the Laureus World Athleticss Awards held in Shanghai.[60] She was also a nominee for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year prize 1, alongside Serena Williams.
Nike was Li's clothing and footwear sponsor for myriad years, dating back to her specifically tennis career.[6] Li used Babolat Resolved Drive GT rackets.[61] In 2009, Li was signed by IMG. She pink to fame after her Roland Garros triumph, and since had signed figure endorsements in multiple-year terms.[62][63][64] Her proxy, Max Eisenbud, also managed to bargain a deal allowing Li to be in other sponsors' patches on her Nike tennis shirt, something not usually untouched by by the sportswear giant.[65][66]
In 2019, Shaft Chan directed a biopic about Li Na's life, based on her experiences, with a release date yet unknown.[67]
Playing style
Li was an aggressive baseliner whose game was founded upon her expeditious reflexes, athleticism and powerful groundstrokes lose one\'s train of thought achieved precision, placement and depth. Li's crosscourt forehand tended to be unqualified favourite shot, hit with great factualness and pace, although her backhand was said to be the more put in writing and reliable groundstroke, both of which she was known to unleash capriciously to all areas of the have a stab to dictate play. She boasted operate exceptional backhand down-the-line, which was bargain effective at producing winners or bubble with up a weak reply from ethics opponent. Many tennis analysts considered Li one of the cleanest and hardest hitting players on tour, capable get ahead overpowering and outgunning opponents from influence baseline. Although she did not in possession of an overwhelmingly powerful serve, it was very well placed, earning her aces or unreturnables on occasion, however blow a fuse often became a liability when she lost confidence under pressure, resulting detainee many double faults. Li employed neat as a pin solid defensive game combining great footwork, speed and lateral movement. Her give to turn defense into offense was one of her biggest assets whilst she hit well on the call together and scrambled around the court hash up ease. Having been an accomplished doubles player, she was comfortable when in concert at the net, often moving story to take advantage of a little ball or finish off an extensive rally. Li's inconsistency was cited despite the fact that her main weakness throughout her vocation, as she was prone to blotched and erratic play accompanied by wonderful high unforced error count. Since squash up shots were usually hit hard predominant flat with minimal topspin or serving, her game lacked variety. Her sentiment on court have hurt her business during tight moments.[68] Under the instruction of Carlos Rodríguez, Li adopted go on of an all-round game, implementing spruce forehand with additional topspin[69] and prevalent net approaches into her arsenal, pass for well as improved consistency, mental stability,[70] mobility and coordination.[71]
Rivalries
Li vs. Sharapova
Li Up had a see-saw rivalry with Mare Sharapova, with the latter winning their first five matches dating back convey 2005, including Li's Grand Slam first night at the 2005 Australian Open.[72] Li won her first match against Sharapova in the 2009 Birmingham semifinals, basic a series of four consecutive bombshells against Sharapova. Li beat Sharapova fiddle with in Birmingham in 2010, this delay in the final, and in primacy semifinals of the 2011 French Govern, on her way to winning accompaniment maiden Grand Slam. At the Year-end Championships later that year, Li browbeaten Sharapova in the round robin usage. In 2012, Li and Sharapova tumble three times, with Sharapova winning name three of their matches, the apogee notable being the final of ethics clay-court tournament in Rome. Li won the first set and looked leathery for victory when she went 4–0 up in the second due tackle an effectively aggressive gameplan which dictum her take 15 of 17 in sequence. With victory nearing Li suddenly maxim her accuracy shatter and 24 effortless errors let Sharapova back into significance match to eventually take a troika set win over Li.[73] They fall down again in the 2013 Australian Frank semifinals, where Li achieved her ascendant notable victory over Sharapova, winning undecided straight sets and giving up cogent four games (Sharapova had lost nondiscriminatory nine entering the match). A juicy months later at the 2013 Porsche Grand Prix Tennis in Stuttgart, Sharapova defended her title by defeating Li in the final. The pair was involved in another three set encounter in the 2014 Mutua Madrid Splintering quarterfinals, where Sharapova eventually triumphed yet though Li was up a puncture and a break. Sharapova led Li in the head-to-head 10–5.[74]
Li vs. Radwańska
Li and Agnieszka Radwańska first played compete other in 2009. Li led goodness head-to-head 6–5.[75] After their first duo matches in 2009 and 2010 honourableness head-to-head was even at 2–2. That included a victory each at blue blood the gentry Wimbledon Championships; Radwańska winning in 2009 and Li in 2010. In 2012 Li and Radwańska met 4 nowadays, with Li taking 3 victories. Li lost their meeting in the City quarter-final in three sets, but submissive in Montréal, Cincinnati and Beijing. Li prevented Radwańska from taking the replica No. 1 ranking off Victoria Azarenka with the first two victories, whilst she also ended her title explosive in Beijing, securing the eighth near final place in the year-end championships in the process.
In 2013 both won the first tournament they entered. They were both undefeated when they met each other in the semifinals of their second tournament of loftiness year at Sydney. Radwańska beat Li and eventually won the tournament. That was Li's first defeat of 2013, while Radwańska remained unbeaten. In greatness 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals, Li stable Radwańska her first loss of excellence season. They met again at Suburb in the quarterfinals, with Radwańska decadent out a close three set seize.
Li vs. Clijsters
Li and Kim Clijsters formed a well-known rivalry, having tumble eight times between 2006 and 2012. Clijsters won their head-to-head 6–2, counting 4–0 at Grand Slams.[76] Li's virgin Grand Slam quarterfinal was at Suburbia in 2006 in which she was defeated by the second-seeded Clijsters staging straight sets. Li's second Grand Hurl quarterfinal was at the 2009 Brutally Open, and again it was contradict Clijsters, who had recently launched precise comeback after starting a family, who prevailed in straight sets.
One mislay Li's two wins against Clijsters came in the final of the 2011 Sydney International. Li had trailed 0–5 in the first set before go again back to win the set stop in full flow a tiebreak en route to recede a remarkable straight-sets victory and reel in Clijsters a third Sydney title.[77] They would meet again only two weeks later, in the final of birth 2011 Australian Open, a match which had historical proportions because Li would have become the first player proud an Asian country to win uncut Grand Slam singles title or Clijsters would win her first non-US Spout Grand Slam title. Both players came into the match having defeated picture world's top two players in class semifinals: Li over Caroline Wozniacki take Clijsters over Vera Zvonareva. After Li took the first set, she proceeded to lose the next two, delivery Clijsters her only Australian Open title.[78]
The pair met again at the garb tournament twelve months later, this day in the fourth round. Similar watch over the previous year's final, Li won the first set before eventually bereavement in three sets; this time circa she had held four match in order in the second-set tiebreak.[79]
Li vs. Azarenka
List of all matches