Li Na facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Li Na
李娜

Li at the 2015 Australian Open
Country (sports)	China
Residence	Wuhan, Hubei
Born	(1982-02-26) 26 February 1982 (age 43) Wuhan, Hubei
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Turned pro	1999
Retired	April 2002–May 2004; 19 September 2014
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
College	Huazhong University of Science and Technology (B.A.)
Coach	Jiang Shan (2006–2012) Thomas Högstedt (2009–2010) Michael Mortensen (2011) Carlos Rodríguez (2012–2014)
Prize money	$16,709,074 30th in all-time rankings
Int. Tennis HoF	2019 (member page)
Singles
Career record	503–188 (72.79%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 2 (17 February 2014)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2014)
French Open	W (2011)
Wimbledon	QF (2006, 2010, 2013)
US Open	SF (2013)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2013)
Olympic Games	SF – 4th (2008)
Doubles
Career record	121–50 (70.76%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 54 (28 August 2006)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2006, 2007)
French Open	2R (2006, 2007)
Wimbledon	2R (2006)
US Open	3R (2005)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2012)
Medal record Representing  China Women's tennis Universiade Gold 2001 Beijing Singles Gold 2001 Beijing Doubles Gold 2001 Beijing Mixed doubles Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team Bronze 2006 Doha Singles

Li Na (born 26 February 1982) is a Chinese former professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2. Li won nine singles titles during her career. This includes two major titles at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open.

These victories made her the first Grand Slam singles champion from Asia. She was also the first player from an Asian country to reach a major singles final. This happened when she was runner-up at the 2011 Australian Open. Li also finished second at the 2013 Australian Open and 2013 WTA Tour Championships.

She reached the quarterfinals three times at Wimbledon. Li was also a semifinalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2013 US Open. She was the first Chinese player to win a WTA Tour title in 2004. Li was also the first to reach a major singles quarterfinal in 2006. She was also the first Chinese player to enter the world's top ten.

By 2013, Li was the most successful Asian tennis player ever. Time magazine included her in their list of 100 Most Influential People in the World. She is known for helping tennis grow in China. Former world No. 1 Chris Evert said that tennis "exploded in China" because of Li.

Li retired from tennis in September 2014, when she was 32 years old. In 2019, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Li Na's Tennis Journey

Starting Young: From Badminton to Tennis

Li Na was born in Wuhan, China, on February 26, 1982. At age six, she started playing badminton, like her father. This helped her develop quick reflexes. Just before her eighth birthday, a coach named Xia Xiyao convinced her to switch to tennis. Her early tennis teachers were very strict. This affected Li's confidence later on.

Li joined China's National Tennis Team in 1997. The next year, with help from Nike, she went to the John Newcombe Academy in Texas to train. She stayed there for ten months. Her favorite tennis player growing up was Andre Agassi. She became a professional player in 1999 at age sixteen.

Taking a Break and Returning to the Court

At the end of 2002, Li left the national tennis team. She decided to study journalism part-time at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2009. People gave different reasons for her break. Some said she wanted to focus on her studies. She later shared that she felt sick every day and didn't want her life to be only about tennis.

Li returned to the national team in 2004. On January 27, 2006, she married Jiang Shan, who then became her personal coach. In 2008, Li left the state-run sports system under a new "Fly Solo" policy. This meant she could hire her own coaches and manage her own expenses. She also got to keep more of her prize money, which was a big change.

In 2016, Li became a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.

Early Career Success: 1999–2002

Li became a professional tennis player in 1999. She quickly won three of her first four singles tournaments on the ITF Circuit. She also won all of her first seven ITF doubles tournaments. In 2000, she won 52 singles matches on the ITF Circuit, more than any other player. She also won eight more tournament titles that year.

In June 2000, Li played in her first WTA Tour event in Tashkent. She won her first WTA doubles title there with Li Ting. By the end of 2000, she had won eleven ITF singles titles and seven more ITF doubles events.

Li was mostly away from the tour in 2001. She won two more singles tournaments. In 2002, she won her first $75k singles tournament in Midland, USA. After this, she took a long break from the circuit for 25 months. Some sources say it was due to conflicts with the national team. Others say she wanted to focus on her university studies.

Making a Comeback: 2004–2005

Li Na at the 2009 US Open

Li returned to tennis in May 2004. Even though she had no ranking, she won 26 matches in a row. She earned three more $25k tournament wins and another $50k title. This brought her total singles titles to 18.

In September 2004, Li played in the Beijing tournament. She played against the newly crowned US Open Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Kuznetsova praised Li, saying she played like a top-five player. The very next week, Li won her first WTA Tour title at the Guangzhou tournament. This made her the first Chinese player to win a WTA event.

By October 4, 2004, she entered the WTA top 100 for the first time. She finished 2004 ranked world No. 80. She won 51 singles matches and lost only four that year.

In 2005, Li focused only on tour-level events. She made her Grand Slam debut at the 2005 Australian Open. She reached the third round before losing to Maria Sharapova. She reached her second WTA Tour final at Estoril in April. However, she lost to Lucie Šafářová. An ankle injury kept her out of action for three months. She finished 2005 ranked No. 56.

Breaking Records: 2006–2009

In 2006, Li reached the semifinals at the Berlin tournament. She achieved her first win over a top-10 player, Patty Schnyder. She also won her second career WTA doubles title with Jelena Janković. At Wimbledon, she became the first Chinese woman ever to be seeded in a Grand Slam. She reached the fourth round and then became the first Chinese player to reach any Grand Slam quarterfinal. She lost to Kim Clijsters. After Wimbledon, Li reached a new career-high ranking of No. 20. She finished 2006 ranked No. 21.

Li Na at the 2008 Luxembourg Open

Li started 2007 strong, reaching the semifinals in Sydney and the fourth round at the Australian Open. She also made it to the semifinals at the Indian Wells Open. However, a rib injury forced her to miss Wimbledon and the US Open.

In January 2008, Li returned from her injury. She won her second career singles title at the Gold Coast tournament. This was her first title since 2004. At the Beijing Olympics, she defeated Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. She lost in the semifinals and then in the bronze medal match. At the Stuttgart Grand Prix, Li defeated world No. 1 Serena Williams. This made her only the second Chinese player to beat a world No. 1.

Li Na at the 2009 US Open

Li missed the start of 2009 due to a knee injury. She reached the final of the Monterrey Open, but lost to Marion Bartoli. She also reached the quarterfinals at the Miami Open, where she lost to Serena Williams. At the French Open, she reached the fourth round. She then reached the final of the Birmingham Classic, but lost to Magdaléna Rybáriková. At the US Open, she reached her first US Open quarterfinals. She finished 2009 ranked world No. 15, her highest year-end ranking at that time.

Reaching the Top: 2010–2011

Li Na at the 2010 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

Li started 2010 by reaching her first Australian Open quarterfinal. She defeated world No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki and world No. 6 Venus Williams. In the semifinals, she lost to Serena Williams. Because of this, Li became the first Chinese woman ever to be ranked in the top ten in professional tennis.

In June 2010, Li won the Birmingham Classic title. This brought her back into the top 10. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals for the second time. She lost to Serena Williams. She finished 2010 ranked world No. 11.

Li Na in 2011 French Open semifinal

Li started 2011 by winning the Sydney International title. She defeated world No. 3 Kim Clijsters in the final. At the Australian Open, she reached her first Grand Slam singles final. She was the first tennis player from an East Asian country to do this. She defeated world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. In the final, she lost to Kim Clijsters. After this, Li's ranking rose to a career high of world No. 7.

Li then had a tough period with several losses. She decided to hire a new coach, Michael Mortensen. Her form improved, and she reached the semifinals at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

On June 4, 2011, Li won her first major title at the French Open. She made history by becoming the first tennis player from an East Asian country to win a Grand Slam singles event. She defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone in the final. This match was watched by 330 million people worldwide. After this win, Li rose to a career high ranking of world No. 4.

At Wimbledon, Li was the third seed. She lost in the second round to Sabine Lisicki. She also had an early exit at the 2011 US Open. She then ended her coaching with Mortensen. Li qualified for the 2011 WTA Tour Championships for the first time. She finished 2011 as the world No. 5.

More Titles and Milestones: 2012–2013

Li started 2012 by reaching the final of the Sydney International again. She lost to Victoria Azarenka. At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round. She held four match points against Kim Clijsters but lost the match.

Li Na in Miami

Li reached the final of the Italian Open. She lost to Maria Sharapova in a close three-set match. At the French Open, where she was the defending champion, she lost in the fourth round. This caused her to fall out of the world top ten. After the 2012 London Olympics, Li started working with coach Carlos Rodríguez.

With Rodríguez, Li's performance improved. She reached the final of the Rogers Cup. She then won the Cincinnati Open title. This was her first title since the 2011 French Open. She finished 2012 ranked world No. 7.

Li Na with coach Carlos Rodríguez at the 2013 US Open

Li started 2013 by winning the Shenzhen Open. She then reached the semifinals of the Sydney International. At the Australian Open, Li reached her second final in three years. She defeated world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwańska and world No. 2 Maria Sharapova. In the final, she faced Victoria Azarenka. Li had some falls and injuries during the match. She lost in three sets.

Her ankle injury kept her out for seven weeks. She returned at the Miami Open, reaching the quarterfinals. She lost to world No. 1 Serena Williams. Li reached the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, but lost to Maria Sharapova. At the French Open, she lost in the second round.

Li reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the third time. She played a very close match against Agnieszka Radwańska, saving eight match points before losing. At the US Open, she reached her first US Open semifinal. She lost to Serena Williams.

Li qualified for the 2013 WTA Tour Championships. She won all her group matches. She reached the final, where she lost to Serena Williams. After this, her ranking rose to a new career high of world No. 3. This was the highest-ever ranking for a female tennis player from an East Asian country.

Grand Slam Champion and Retirement: 2014

Li started 2014 by successfully defending her title at the Shenzhen Open. This was the first time she had defended a title in her career.

At the Australian Open, Li was the fourth seed. She reached her third Australian Open final. She defeated Dominika Cibulková in straight sets to win her first Australian Open title. She became the first East Asian Australian Open champion. She was also the fourth woman to win the title after saving a match point earlier in the tournament.

Li reached a new career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 after the Australian Open. She then reached the final of the Miami Open, but lost to world No. 1 Serena Williams. At the French Open, she had an early loss in the first round. This was a surprise, as she was the reigning Australian Open champion.

Li did not play a warm-up event before Wimbledon. She was eliminated in the third round of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. In July, Li and her coach Carlos Rodríguez decided to stop working together.

On September 19, 2014, Li announced her retirement from professional tennis. She had been dealing with a left knee injury that needed surgery. She ended her career ranked world No. 6. That year, she was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25.

Li Na's Impact and Popularity

Li Na is known as one of the most successful and popular athletes from Asia. In 2013, she was on the cover of Time magazine. She was also named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Only four athletes were on that list.

Chris Evert said that Li Na helped tennis become very popular in China. Millions of people watched her win the French Open. Li is known for her friendly personality and funny interviews. She brings a smile to everyone's face.

In 2014, Time magazine featured her again. They called her a "world class sports idol." She inspired many Chinese people to be independent and think freely. In 2012, Forbes listed Li as one of the top 100 highest-earning celebrities. She was one of only three female athletes on that list.

In China, people lovingly call her "Big Sister Na." She is seen as a strong and determined role model. Her social media account on Sina Weibo had over 23 million followers in 2014. Her unique personality, like her rose tattoo and past disagreements with government sports programs, also made her more popular. In 2015, Li received the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement award.

Nike was Li's main sponsor for clothing and shoes. She used Babolat Pure Drive GT rackets. After her French Open win, she signed many new endorsement deals. Her agent even arranged for her to wear other sponsors' logos on her Nike shirt. This was usually not allowed by Nike.

In 2019, a movie about Li Na's life, based on her autobiography, was directed by Peter Chan.

Li Na's Playing Style

Li Na was an aggressive player. She was known for her quick reflexes, athleticism, and powerful shots. Her shots were very accurate and deep. Her crosscourt forehand was a favorite shot, hit with great power. Her backhand was also very consistent. She could hit winners to any part of the court.

Many experts said Li was one of the hardest-hitting players on tour. She could overpower opponents from the back of the court. Her serve was not super powerful, but it was well-placed. She often got aces or shots that were hard to return. However, her serve could become a problem when she felt pressure.

Li was also good at defense. She had great footwork, speed, and could move quickly side-to-side. She was excellent at turning defense into attack. She could hit good shots while running. Because she was also a good doubles player, she was comfortable at the net. She often moved forward to finish points.

Her main weakness was sometimes being inconsistent. She could make many errors. Her shots were often hit hard and flat, so she didn't use much topspin or slice. This meant her game sometimes lacked variety. Her emotions could also affect her play in tough moments. Under coach Carlos Rodríguez, Li improved her all-around game. She added more topspin to her forehand and came to the net more often. She also became more consistent and mentally strong.

Key Rivalries

Li Na vs. Maria Sharapova

Li Na had an interesting rivalry with Maria Sharapova. Sharapova won their first five matches, starting in 2005. Li won her first match against Sharapova in 2009. This started a series of four wins in a row for Li. Li beat Sharapova in the 2011 French Open semifinals, on her way to winning her first Grand Slam.

In 2012, Sharapova won all three of their matches. One notable match was the 2012 Rome final. Li was winning easily, but Sharapova came back to win in three sets. They met again in the 2013 Australian Open semifinals. Li won easily in straight sets. Sharapova led their overall head-to-head record 10–5.

Li Na vs. Agnieszka Radwańska

Li Na and Agnieszka Radwańska first played in 2009. Li led their head-to-head record 6–5. They each won a match at Wimbledon, with Radwańska winning in 2009 and Li in 2010. In 2012, Li won three out of their four matches. Li's wins prevented Radwańska from becoming world No. 1.

In 2013, they both won their first tournament of the year. They met in the semifinals in Sydney, where Radwańska won. Li then beat Radwańska in the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals. They met again at Wimbledon in the quarterfinals, where Radwańska won a very close three-set match.

Li Na vs. Kim Clijsters

Li Na and Kim Clijsters had a well-known rivalry. Clijsters won 6 of their 8 matches. She won all four of their Grand Slam meetings. Li's first Grand Slam quarterfinal was at Wimbledon in 2006, where Clijsters won. Clijsters also won their quarterfinal at the 2009 US Open.

Li's two wins against Clijsters included the final of the 2011 Sydney International. Li came back from being down 0–5 in the first set to win. They met again two weeks later in the 2011 Australian Open final. Li won the first set, but Clijsters came back to win the title. They played again at the same tournament twelve months later. Li had four match points in the second set but lost the match.

Li Na vs. Victoria Azarenka

Li Na and Victoria Azarenka played eleven times between 2008 and 2013. Azarenka led their overall head-to-head 6–5. However, Li led 2–1 in Grand Slam matches.

Their first match was in the final of the 2008 Gold Coast tournament, which Li Na won. Azarenka's first win over Li was in 2010. They met three times in 2011, with Li winning two of those matches at Grand Slams.

In 2012, Azarenka won all three of their matches. This included the final of the Sydney International. Their most important match was the final of the 2013 Australian Open. Li won the first set, but then suffered injuries and lost in three sets. Their last meeting in 2013 was a clear win for Li.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2011	Australian Open	Hard	Kim Clijsters	6–3, 3–6, 3–6
Win	2011	French Open	Clay	Francesca Schiavone	6–4, 7–6(7–0)
Loss	2013	Australian Open	Hard	Victoria Azarenka	6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Win	2014	Australian Open	Hard	Dominika Cibulková	7–6(7–3), 6–0

Olympic Medal Matches

Singles: 1

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
4th place	2008	Summer Olympics Beijing, China	Hard	Vera Zvonareva	0–6, 5–7

Grand Slam Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

Personal Life

Family and Background

Li Na was born on February 26, 1982, in Wuhan, China. Her grandfather was a sports teacher. Her father, Li Shengpeng, played badminton for a short time. He passed away when Li Na was fourteen years old.

Her mother, Li Yanping, worked for a ferry company. When Li Na was three, she lived for a short time with her grandmother in Hunan.

Marriage and Children

Li Na is married to Jiang Shan. They have two children. On January 19, 2015, Li announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Alisa, was born in June 2015. Their second child, a boy, was born on December 23, 2016. Li often calls her husband 'Dennis'.

Li owns apartments in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts.

Images for kids

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  Li Na at the 2009 US Open

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  Li Na at the 2008 Luxembourg Open

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  Li Na at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships

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  Li Na at the 2009 US Open

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  Li Na at the 2010 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

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  Li Na in 2011 French Open semifinal

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  Li Na in Miami

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  Li Na with coach Carlos Rodríguez at the 2013 US Open

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  Li Na practicing at 2013 Rogers Cup in Toronto

See also

In Spanish: Li Na para niños

• Tennis in China
• List of female tennis players
• List of Grand Slam women's singles champions
• Tennis performance timeline comparison (women)

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