China’s two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na said Monday she had “no regrets” about her career, a year after her abrupt retirement from professional tennis.
Li was addressing reporters in her hometown Wuhan in central China during the second edition of the Wuhan Open, which was launched last year on the back of her success.
The 33-year-old has rarely appeared in public since she tearfully retired on the eve of the inaugural Wuhan Open last year, and later gave birth to a baby girl.
“Honestly, I have no regrets as a professional player,” she said. “Especially in the last few years I felt that I fulfilled all my dreams and goals.
“Looking back on my full tennis career, I’m very satisfied. So even though it’s not a smooth career, all the dreams and goals have been achieved due to hard work, so I feel proud of myself.”
Li’s retirement which came just months after she won the 2014 Australian Open and reached a career-high ranking of world number two.
Although she is now feted in China, Li was once controversial for opting out of the state sports system and had a rocky relationship with critics in domestic media who accused her of a lack of patriotism.
Since retiring she has spoken of plans to start her own academy, and suggested Monday that her model of training would be starkly different from the rigorous domestic programmes.
“Right now most important thing is my little girl and (to) have my tennis academy. It’s not only for professional athletes,” she said.
“(It’ll) be more about discovering tennis, to make an area where they can play for fun… I still remember when I was playing, it was like I didn’t have a lot of fun time.”
Li said her focus was now on her daughter, Alisa, who was born in June, but she did concede that she sometimes misses the professional tennis circuit.
“Honestly, I miss the fight. This is the only thing I miss: the court,” she said.