Li Na, tennis' first ever Grand Slam singles Champion of Asian descent, has decided to retire, announcing Friday morning in Beijing that her playing career has come to a close.
The former French Open and Australian Open champion, and former second-ranked player in the world, cited the worsening of knee injuries as the reason behind her decision.
It was only 3 years ago that she emerged victorious at the 2011 French Open, becoming the first Asian, and more specifically, the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Shortly thereafter she took the top spot at the Australian Open.
But injuries forced her to take time away from the game and her ranking edged downward.
Li's agent, Max Eisenbud of IMG, was supportive of his client's decision, especially after she opened up to him about the pain and the pressure she felt to continue playing.
"I think in that culture, I got the feeling that she felt like she needed to keep playing for other people," Eisenbud said. "And I told her that she's a great champion and she has nothing to prove to anybody, and this is her decision, her life and her career. And if you're ready to stop, that's great, and we'll get on to the next phase of your life."
The 32-year-old Li has not played since losing in the third-round at Wimbledon in July. She was scheduled to compete in the U.S. Open a month later but withdrew because of her knees.
She had three surgeries on her right knee between 2008 and 2009 in an effort to alleviate complications caused by excess cartilage. After her most recent loss at Wimbledon she underwent another surgery on her left knee.
She posted her retirement announcement on Facebook.
"The task of finally making a decision to hang up my racquet felt a lot more difficult than winning seven matches in a row in the Australian heat," she wrote in the letter. "It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be. Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family."
After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding."
Stacey Allaster, chief executive of the Women's Tennis Association, said that Li will have a lasting effect on the sport, especially now as it looks to expand further into China and Asia.
"Without question I believe that Li Na is the player of this decade who will have the most impact on the growth of women's tennis," Allaster said. "We will see the fruit of her contributions. We're experiencing them now, but they will be long-lasting throughout the rest of this decade, and I believe for decades to come."
