When Francesca Schiavone’s return landed out of bounds, her opponent fell backwards onto the red clay in excitement. Compared with others’ first Grand Slam titles, the 29-year-old is not young. Despite her maturity, her name won’t easily be forgotten. She is Li Na. She is Chinese. And she is the first Grand Slam winner not just from China, but from the Asian continent.  

On June 4, 2011, history was made when Li Na beat defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 in Paris for the French Open final, to win her first-ever Grand Slam women’s singles title.

A Rugged Road

Li’s tennis history is simple, but filled with struggles. Her father was a badminton player, so she took up the other racket sport at a youth sports school in Wuhan at age seven. However, after two years of studying the shuttlecock sport, her coach sent her to the tennis courts. “Your badminton style seems like that of a tennis player,” remarked her coach. “Maybe you should try tennis.” At the age of 14, Li’s father passed away, leaving the burden of supporting the family on her mother. “I learned to be strong and tough from my mother,” Li explained, “and I knew that the most worthwhile achievements are not easily earned.”

Over time, she gradually evolved into a stellar tennis player. In 2000, Li was ranked 134th on the year-end list of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). In China’s Ninth National Games in 2001, she took titles in women’s singles, doubles, and team competition, cementing her position as one of China’s brightest tennis stars. However, just when her fans started expecting even bigger breakthroughs, Li announced her retirement in 2002, citing her physical condition. She then enrolled at Huazhong University of Science and Technology to study journalism.

The full story behind her retirement still remains a bit of a mystery. “I suddenly got fed up with tennis and saw nowhere I could improve. I really didn’t believe that I would become a top player some day.” Pressured by increasing inquiries, she explained her decision thusly to the press.

In 2006, she returned to the courts after marrying Jiang Shan, another tennis player. The couple instantly turned heads as a rare Chinese sporting pair. Since then, Jiang and Li seemed inseparable, both at competitions and during training. Jiang served in various capacities, including roles as coach, psychologist, and nanny. Since her comeback, Li has never looked back.

Commercial Opportunities

Just a year ago, Li’s cumulative earnings from endorsements totaled only 5 million yuan, considerably less than her teammates Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai. She even admitted that she “had no idea about money.” However, after her history-making performances at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, her popularity skyrocketed and the sponsors began lining up.

According to reports, two years ago, Nike contacted Li about an endorsement deal. However, due to her limited popularity at that time, the offer was only a small contract. Today, things are different. Two days after her Roland Garros triumph, her Nike ad could be found on the front page of 10 Chinese mainstream media outlets. The “Just Do It” slogan seemed even more fitting than usual.