Li Na (Born February 26, 1982 at Wuhan, Hubei, China) is a Chinese professional tennis player. Li won 9 WTA and 19 ITF singles titles. In 20111 Li Na won the French Open singles title and became first and only Grand Slam singles champion from an Asian country. Her career-high singles ranking is world no. 2, achieved on February 17, 2014. Li is the most successful Asian tennis player.
In 2014 Li won her second Grand Slam title at the 2014 Australian Open. In 2013 she was the runner-up at the Australian Open and WTA Tour Championships. In 2013, Li appears on the cover of Time magazine, Li being one of only four athletes to be named on the annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Li Na started playing badminton at age six. Li and her parents were convinced by Coach Xia Xiyao of the Wuhan youth tennis club for right career in tennis and shifted from badminton to tennis. Li joined China's National Tennis Team in 1997. Li turned professional in 1999 at age sixteen.
In 2002, Li left the national tennis team for part time academic study at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She completed her bachelor's degree in journalism in 2009. Li returned to the national team in 2004.
In 2008, Li quit the national team as well as the state-run sports system under an experimental reform policy for tennis players. This change was called "Fly Solo" by Chinese media. As a result of "Fly Solo", Li had the freedom to pick her own coaching staff but she would be responsible for the cost of travel, training and coaching.
Li has become one of the most well-known and marketable athletes in the world. Li is lovingly called "Big Sister Na" among Chinese society and is considered a "strong, unbending and unyielding" role model. Li has a tattoo on her chest, and hid it for many years since tattoos are not widely accepted in China, especially on women.
