Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.
That statement is an example of what no avid sports fan ever wants to see. Especially when it is released by one of the sport's most celebrated athletes, who always brings joy and amusement to spectators not only with their dangerous game but also with their impressive personality. Yet that one sentence is part of a letter published on Li Na's Facebook page today, announcing her retirement from tennis just before the Wuhan Open, a WTA Premier tournament held in her hometown, kicks off.
I was on the bus bound for uni when I read the news. Of course it wasn't all that surprising; pretty much everyone in the tennis world knew, or at least suspected, that Li would announce her retirement this week due to her worsening knee injury. Still, a mixture of emotions filled me up after I read the full letter, and hundreds of tweets in response to it. I could feel my face fall. I never consider myself a huge fan of hers. She is never among my favourites on the WTA Tour. Nonetheless I, like millions of other people, cannot bring myself to not feel any affection towards her. I was excited to see her at the Hopman Cup in 2012 and was truly happy to get her autograph. Very few tennis players are admired for both their on-court actions and off-court attitude, and Li is one of them. You don't have to call yourself a fan to like her; you just need to admit that her personality amuses and impresses you as much as her tennis does. That's what I can see from many tennis fans. Personally I don't know many people who are her big fans, but I know many people - pretty much every tennis fan I know, really - who greatly admire and respect her for her attitude.
Like many things about tennis, I don't remember the first time I heard about Li. Her name has been around forever as far as I know. She along with Zheng Jie were among the first Chinese players on the WTA Tour to make significant achievements. However, it was not until the 2010 Australian Open that the two really got the world to watch them, with both of them reaching the semifinals. Zheng reached the semifinals at Wimbledon two years previously, but two Chinese players - two Asian players - in a Grand Slam semifinal? That was unheard of. It was impressive to see two players from a region often overlooked when it comes to most professional sports in one of tennis' most sacred stages. Being from an Asian country myself, it was pleasant to see people finally realise that tennis is not only something centred in the so-called Western world; it is greatly loved in other parts of the world as well, but that fact is, sadly, hardly noticed. Until Li and Zheng broke through, and forced the tennis world to also consider parts of the world that it often inadvertently ignored.
And a year later Li proved that she was not only a superb athlete, but also a wonderful personality. At the Australian Open in 2011 she played the best tennis in her career so far. And she showed us that her tennis was not her only asset; her attitude was another one. She made the whole stadium roar with laughter with her surprising answers in on-court interviews; she even constantly mocked her husband and constant companion, Jiang Shan - not that he really minded, anyway!
It was refreshing to see someone with a personality - by that I mean not someone who does stupid things for fame, but someone who is genuinely funny and brutally honest. Instantly she captured everyone's hearts - including mine.
When she reached the final all eyes were on her. It would be very fitting if someone from an Asian country won the Australian Open, the self-proclaimed Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific. I remember I was still mourning Justine Henin's retirement at that time, so I didn't really support anyone in the final - it was between Li and Kim Clijsters, another much-loved player who has retired as well, now a happy wife and mother of two kids. Li lost the match, but fought hard like she always did. It was a tough battle, ideal for a Grand Slam final. In her typical way, she prevented her supporters from being disappointed. Her runner-up speech reminded her fans why they fell in love with her in the first place.
(for some reason I can't upload the video of her 2011 speech on this post, so...here's the link instead)
I remember very well her Roland Garros victory that year. She played the final against defending champion Francesca Schiavone. The second set tiebreak was a letdown with Li winning 7 - 6(0), but I remember screaming so loud that my father scolded me (it was about 11:00 pm already in West Indonesia) after I realised that she won the frickin' Roland Garros, and the next thing I knew I was throwing myself onto the floor in excitement. I still cannot describe what excited me so at that time. Maybe it was the fact that we had a first-time Grand Slam winner. Maybe even more so that she was the first person from her continent to win a Grand Slam singles title. Maybe it was the realisation that this woman finally got to hold one of tennis' holiest jewels. Her Roland Garros victory was celebrated not only in China, but also in other Asian countries including Indonesia. At last there was a chance that our vast continent would be noticed in the sport. There was a chance that the sport would be more popular in that part of the world. To many of us it meant not only a great sporting achievement that should be put in the history book. To many of us it meant that our presence would finally be acknowledged. For too long of a time Asian countries had existed only as sources of revenue and spectators for the sport. Li Na's 2011 Roland Garros victory showed everyone that we too could involve ourselves actively, and therefore should also be noticed at all times. When I look back, it was quite funny, really. A Chinese tennis player wins a Grand Slam and an Indonesian tennis fan is excited because of that - have you heard about, for example, a French tennis fan who is very happy to see a British tennis player win a Grand Slam just because they are British and therefore a fellow European? Asia is a vast region, but in the eye of most sports it is really, really tiny and we are all fully aware of that fact - probably we have been very used to being referred to collectively as 'Asians' while the fact that there are hundreds of different countries in the region is taken for granted that we also put our different nationalities behind and subconsciously choose to unite ourselves under one identity.
For the first time, tennis truly saw that Asia really is something big.
Her full story slowly came to be known. How she was a maverick in the eyes of the Chinese Tennis Federation, but also someone who opened a bright way for girls in China who wanted to pursue tennis. There was a documentary about her journey released on STAR Sports, a cable sports channel available in a number of Asian countries. The more I learned about her the more I wished I had really known her sooner. I couldn't deny the thought that she was already in her late 20s and the loathed R word was not too far away - I would be surprised if I saw a female player survive well into her mid-30s. I didn't want to imagine the tennis world without her despite knowing very well that the day would come eventually, especially for someone like Li who's married already so that family must've been on her mind somehow. It was the point where I really regretted not getting to know her sooner.
Probably even Li herself isn't fully aware of what impact she has brought to the tennis world. There are very few athletes that the world always looks forward to because of what they have inside out. Good athletes are easy to find, but good sports personalities are rare - they have more than just techniques and actions. In my opinion, in recent times in women's tennis there have been only three players that the world genuinely respects because of their wonderful personalities combined with their great tennis: Elena Dementieva, Kim Clijsters, and Li Na. When it comes to those three, like I've said before, you don't have to call yourself a fan to enjoy seeing them. Sadly all three have retired now, with all their retirements bringing great emotions and memories to me, and I don't see anyone currently on the WTA Tour joining that 'club' anytime soon.
The first few weeks since Li's retirement will be difficult for me - I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and it will be weird to see someone whom I've been very used to watching on TV and reading about in the news suddenly gone, just like that. Especially someone with such a larger-than-life personality. I know that will be the case for many other people as well. The WTA Tour without Li Na is still far beyond me. I really, really regret not spending more time getting to know her - it is like losing a friend you've only known for a short time. One thing for sure, I'm glad I got to watch her play live a couple of years ago in Perth. It is a tennis-related memory that I will always cherish. It was a privilege. It was beautiful.
Whether you want to be a tennis player, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or a business leader, I urge you to believe in yourself and follow your dream. If I could do it, you can too! Be the bird that sticks out. With hard work, your dreams will come true.
That is the last paragraph of her letter. Everyone can say things like that, but only people who have made real differences can make the words so powerful. Li Na is one of them. She is the beautiful bird that sticks out, and fate has called her to stop flying but now many little birds are flying along her path.
Oh, Li Na, how I wish time had been more generous!
Picture courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald
That statement is an example of what no avid sports fan ever wants to see. Especially when it is released by one of the sport's most celebrated athletes, who always brings joy and amusement to spectators not only with their dangerous game but also with their impressive personality. Yet that one sentence is part of a letter published on Li Na's Facebook page today, announcing her retirement from tennis just before the Wuhan Open, a WTA Premier tournament held in her hometown, kicks off.
I was on the bus bound for uni when I read the news. Of course it wasn't all that surprising; pretty much everyone in the tennis world knew, or at least suspected, that Li would announce her retirement this week due to her worsening knee injury. Still, a mixture of emotions filled me up after I read the full letter, and hundreds of tweets in response to it. I could feel my face fall. I never consider myself a huge fan of hers. She is never among my favourites on the WTA Tour. Nonetheless I, like millions of other people, cannot bring myself to not feel any affection towards her. I was excited to see her at the Hopman Cup in 2012 and was truly happy to get her autograph. Very few tennis players are admired for both their on-court actions and off-court attitude, and Li is one of them. You don't have to call yourself a fan to like her; you just need to admit that her personality amuses and impresses you as much as her tennis does. That's what I can see from many tennis fans. Personally I don't know many people who are her big fans, but I know many people - pretty much every tennis fan I know, really - who greatly admire and respect her for her attitude.
Like many things about tennis, I don't remember the first time I heard about Li. Her name has been around forever as far as I know. She along with Zheng Jie were among the first Chinese players on the WTA Tour to make significant achievements. However, it was not until the 2010 Australian Open that the two really got the world to watch them, with both of them reaching the semifinals. Zheng reached the semifinals at Wimbledon two years previously, but two Chinese players - two Asian players - in a Grand Slam semifinal? That was unheard of. It was impressive to see two players from a region often overlooked when it comes to most professional sports in one of tennis' most sacred stages. Being from an Asian country myself, it was pleasant to see people finally realise that tennis is not only something centred in the so-called Western world; it is greatly loved in other parts of the world as well, but that fact is, sadly, hardly noticed. Until Li and Zheng broke through, and forced the tennis world to also consider parts of the world that it often inadvertently ignored.
And a year later Li proved that she was not only a superb athlete, but also a wonderful personality. At the Australian Open in 2011 she played the best tennis in her career so far. And she showed us that her tennis was not her only asset; her attitude was another one. She made the whole stadium roar with laughter with her surprising answers in on-court interviews; she even constantly mocked her husband and constant companion, Jiang Shan - not that he really minded, anyway!
When she reached the final all eyes were on her. It would be very fitting if someone from an Asian country won the Australian Open, the self-proclaimed Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific. I remember I was still mourning Justine Henin's retirement at that time, so I didn't really support anyone in the final - it was between Li and Kim Clijsters, another much-loved player who has retired as well, now a happy wife and mother of two kids. Li lost the match, but fought hard like she always did. It was a tough battle, ideal for a Grand Slam final. In her typical way, she prevented her supporters from being disappointed. Her runner-up speech reminded her fans why they fell in love with her in the first place.
(for some reason I can't upload the video of her 2011 speech on this post, so...here's the link instead)
I remember very well her Roland Garros victory that year. She played the final against defending champion Francesca Schiavone. The second set tiebreak was a letdown with Li winning 7 - 6(0), but I remember screaming so loud that my father scolded me (it was about 11:00 pm already in West Indonesia) after I realised that she won the frickin' Roland Garros, and the next thing I knew I was throwing myself onto the floor in excitement. I still cannot describe what excited me so at that time. Maybe it was the fact that we had a first-time Grand Slam winner. Maybe even more so that she was the first person from her continent to win a Grand Slam singles title. Maybe it was the realisation that this woman finally got to hold one of tennis' holiest jewels. Her Roland Garros victory was celebrated not only in China, but also in other Asian countries including Indonesia. At last there was a chance that our vast continent would be noticed in the sport. There was a chance that the sport would be more popular in that part of the world. To many of us it meant not only a great sporting achievement that should be put in the history book. To many of us it meant that our presence would finally be acknowledged. For too long of a time Asian countries had existed only as sources of revenue and spectators for the sport. Li Na's 2011 Roland Garros victory showed everyone that we too could involve ourselves actively, and therefore should also be noticed at all times. When I look back, it was quite funny, really. A Chinese tennis player wins a Grand Slam and an Indonesian tennis fan is excited because of that - have you heard about, for example, a French tennis fan who is very happy to see a British tennis player win a Grand Slam just because they are British and therefore a fellow European? Asia is a vast region, but in the eye of most sports it is really, really tiny and we are all fully aware of that fact - probably we have been very used to being referred to collectively as 'Asians' while the fact that there are hundreds of different countries in the region is taken for granted that we also put our different nationalities behind and subconsciously choose to unite ourselves under one identity.
For the first time, tennis truly saw that Asia really is something big.
Her full story slowly came to be known. How she was a maverick in the eyes of the Chinese Tennis Federation, but also someone who opened a bright way for girls in China who wanted to pursue tennis. There was a documentary about her journey released on STAR Sports, a cable sports channel available in a number of Asian countries. The more I learned about her the more I wished I had really known her sooner. I couldn't deny the thought that she was already in her late 20s and the loathed R word was not too far away - I would be surprised if I saw a female player survive well into her mid-30s. I didn't want to imagine the tennis world without her despite knowing very well that the day would come eventually, especially for someone like Li who's married already so that family must've been on her mind somehow. It was the point where I really regretted not getting to know her sooner.
Probably even Li herself isn't fully aware of what impact she has brought to the tennis world. There are very few athletes that the world always looks forward to because of what they have inside out. Good athletes are easy to find, but good sports personalities are rare - they have more than just techniques and actions. In my opinion, in recent times in women's tennis there have been only three players that the world genuinely respects because of their wonderful personalities combined with their great tennis: Elena Dementieva, Kim Clijsters, and Li Na. When it comes to those three, like I've said before, you don't have to call yourself a fan to enjoy seeing them. Sadly all three have retired now, with all their retirements bringing great emotions and memories to me, and I don't see anyone currently on the WTA Tour joining that 'club' anytime soon.
The first few weeks since Li's retirement will be difficult for me - I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and it will be weird to see someone whom I've been very used to watching on TV and reading about in the news suddenly gone, just like that. Especially someone with such a larger-than-life personality. I know that will be the case for many other people as well. The WTA Tour without Li Na is still far beyond me. I really, really regret not spending more time getting to know her - it is like losing a friend you've only known for a short time. One thing for sure, I'm glad I got to watch her play live a couple of years ago in Perth. It is a tennis-related memory that I will always cherish. It was a privilege. It was beautiful.
Whether you want to be a tennis player, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or a business leader, I urge you to believe in yourself and follow your dream. If I could do it, you can too! Be the bird that sticks out. With hard work, your dreams will come true.
That is the last paragraph of her letter. Everyone can say things like that, but only people who have made real differences can make the words so powerful. Li Na is one of them. She is the beautiful bird that sticks out, and fate has called her to stop flying but now many little birds are flying along her path.
Oh, Li Na, how I wish time had been more generous!
Picture courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald
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