Li Na

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Li Na [File Photo]

Li Na, a top-ranked Chinese professional tennis player, has always deeply impressed fans all around the world with her powerful skills, amazing flexibility and great sense of humor. Li is the only Chinese star to make Forbes Magazine's list of the world's most powerful celebrities of 2012. She was ranked No.11 in the world as of Aug. 6.

 

Since her career began in 1997, Li has won 23 singles' titles and 18 doubles' titles, including 5 WTA and 19 ITF singles titles. Li has set a lot of records, including winning China's first WTA doubles' title with her partner Li Ting in 2000 and China's first WTA singles' title in 2004. She became the first Chinese player ever to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2006. She also created another record for China in 2009 when she reached the quarterfinals at the US Open.

Later, she won the 2011 French Open singles title, making herself the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam in singles. After the victory, her ranking rose from No. 7 to No. 4 in the world, an achievement that few Asian players besides Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan had ever accomplished. She is also the first player from Asia to appear in a Grand Slam singles final at the 2011 Australian Open, winning the second place. On May 20, Li won second place at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.

Archive:

Born: Feb. 26, 1982, in Wuhan, Hubei Province

Height: 172 cm; Weight: 65 kg

Turned pro: 1999

Singles:

Career record: 414–161(72.00%)

Career titles: 5 WTA, 19 ITF

Highest ranking: No. 4 (Jun. 6, 2011)

Current ranking: No. 11 (Aug. 6, 2012)