Former World No. 2 Li Na had fans overwhelmed following her return to the 2024 Australian Open. The 41-year-old is currently competing in the Legends competition at the Grand Slam event. She was the winner of the 2014 Australian Open, which was her second Grand Slam singles title.
Her maiden Major title win came at the 2011 French Open. Having retired midway through 2014, the Chinese legend is back on the court after nearly a decade. The press was certainly delighted to see her return and questioned her life away from the court.
While some would have expected her to feel left out, her one-word answer had everyone in splits initially. Li eventually admitted that she missed the competition but not the athlete’s life owing to the packed schedule and traveling.
I miss zero. I mean, when I was athlete, this is my dream, you know, take care about the family. For the Legends, we are just playing for fun. I was smiling a lot before, but now on the court, off the court. Yeah, of course, tennis is part of my life. Said a smiling Li during the press conference.
I miss, like, competition. But I didn't miss traveling a lot. When I would think back, it was killing me. I think we fly a lot, you have jet lag. You have to prepare for the match. You have a lot of stress. Yeah, it's tough for tennis athlete. Yeah. Continuing further, she added
Partnering with Daniela Hantuchova, she is in the second round. The pair defeated the all-Australian team of Casey Dellacqua and Alicia Molik in straight sets. As they await their opponents for the next round, Li got candid with the press.
Li Na’s heartwarming moment with compatriot Qinwen Zheng steals the limelight at the Grand Slam event
Before her legends match, Li Na had also surprised her compatriot Qinwen Zheng. Li hid herself behind the camera team and revealed herself leaving Zheng stunned. The youngster could not believe her eyes and the photos did justice to the special moment between the two players.
The youngster had given a special shoutout to her idol Li after her third-round win. As Zheng continued with media duties following her win, she was given a big surprise. One can only assume the conversation with the former World No. 2 would have only built Zheng’s confidence.
The 12th seed will take on Frenchwoman Oceane Dodin for a place in the quarter-finals. The winner of the match will then take on Anna Kalinskaya. The Russian defeated 26th-seeded Jasmine Paolini to reach the last 8 for the first time in her career at a Major.
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