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Nation
Print Edition> Nation
UPDATED: September 28, 2014 NO. 41 OCTOBER 9, 2014
A Daring Competitor
Li Na's retirement drives reflection on her career and the nation's system of athlete cultivation
By Yin Pumin
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RECORD-BREAKER: Li Na wins the French Open title in 2011, the first in Asia to win a Grand Slam singles title (XINHUA)

On September 19, Chinese tennis trailblazer and reigning Australian Open champion Li Na brought down the curtain on a glittering 15-year professional career with the announcement of her official retirement from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

"Representing China on the tennis court was an extraordinary privilege and a true honor. Having the unique opportunity to effectively bring more attention to the sport of tennis in China and all over Asia is something I will cherish forever. But in sport, just like in life, all great things must come to an end," Li said in her farewell letter.

Winner of nine WTA singles titles, two doubles titles and a two-time Grand Slam champion, the 32-year-old marks the end of a career that saw her become one of the best and most popular players in the history of women's tennis.

"Li Na has been a fun, powerful, and wonderful player on the WTA tour and, along with her fans, I am sad to hear that she has retired," said Stacey Allaster, Chairwoman and CEO of the WTA, adding that in addition to Li's amazing tennis abilities and warm personality, she is a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia. "Thanks to all she has achieved and contributed, her legacy is immense and I have no doubt that her contributions to the WTA will be seen for decades to come in China, throughout Asia and the rest of the world."

Ups and downs

Li was born on February 26, 1982, in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Her father had been a badminton player for the provincial team but died when Li was 14.

At the age of 9, Li switched from playing badminton to tennis and made the national team in 1997, becoming a professional tennis player two years later. In 2000, she partnered with Li Ting to win the WTA Tashkent Open women's doubles title, becoming the first tennis tournament champions from China.

She quit the WTA tour between 2002 and 2004 over doubts about her own progress. During that time, she completed a Bachelor's degree in journalism at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.

Gaining more confidence and knowledge, Li returned to the national team in 2004. She married Jiang Shan, also her coach and training partner, in 2006. Jiang coached her before Danish coach Michael Mortensen joined her team in May 2011.

Li etched her name in the history books at Roland Garros in June 2011 when she became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title, defeating Top 10 rivals in each of her last four matches. Earlier in 2011 she was the first player from the region to reach a major final, finishing runner-up to Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open.

After winning the French Open title, Li expressed her gratitude to her husband, saying, "Although he is not my coach any more, I want to give many thanks to him. He always understands me and tolerates me."

However, Li struggled after Roland Garros, winning only six matches for the remainder of the year, and she constantly saw her name in headlines questioning her mental toughness. She confessed that sometimes she would even shiver just seeing her name in a newspaper, fearing that her comments would be wrongly interpreted by the media.

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