"I was like, Okay, now I see the tennis player was free": Two time Grand Slam champion Li Na lauds hero Andre Agassi

Two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na praises tennis legend Andre Agassi.

The former Chinese tennis player has been retired since 2014 and had an impressive career, winning the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open. She was the first Asian, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam final in singles and also the first to win it.

The Asian star recently commented on Andre Agassi in the series "My Wimbledon Memories," where she praised the American and referred to him as an idol and former world No. 1.

"My idol is Andre Agassi," Li Na said.

"Yeah, I love the way he plays on the court. When I was very young, I saw the television, I saw, oh a tennis player can be like that, you know. Because during that time he had long hair."

Li Na also highlighted that Agassi "didn't care about what the people said."

"I was like, Okay, now I see the tennis player was free, you know. he didnt care about what the people said, and he would just do it his way," she added.

Li Na highest ranking was world No. 2 when she surpassed Victoria Azarenka in early 2014. That same year, due to a knee injury, she missed the US Open and subsequently decided to retire from tennis at the age of 32. She had accumulated over 500 wins and 9 titles throughout her career.

The Chinese former tennis player reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon three times (2006, 2010, 2013), but she never managed to go beyond that stage. Nevertheless, she fondly recalled her appearances at the All England Club:

"When I won a match on Centre Court, I felt I was winning all of the world," Li Na said.

Li Na finished three consecutive years in the top 10 and five in the top 15. She is also a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame since 2019.