China’s retired tennis great Li Na becomes first Asian player to join International Tennis Hall of Fame
Li Na, the retired Chinese professional tennis player, has cemented her reputation as a trailblazer in the game by becoming the first person from Asia to be elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Li retired in 2014 after winning two Grand Slam women’s singles titles – at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open – and seven Women’s Tennis Association singles titles.
Her election into the hall of fame, in the Class of 2019 alongside former French player Mary Pierce, was celebrated in a special ceremony in Melbourne, on Tuesday, during this year’s Australian Open.
The induction ceremony will be held in July.
Getting inducted into the International Hall of Fame is the highest honour a tennis player can aim for. For the Class of 2019, for the first time, a fan voting system was included.
A six-week voting period attracted votes from more than 130 countries, and resulted in Li receiving first place out of a total of eight nominated candidates.
Li is also a Rolex Testimonee – a title she shares with other noted inductees to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, including Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter, Jim Courier, Chris Evert and Justine Henin.
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Election of Li, winner of two Grand Slam women’s singles titles, at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open, celebrated in Australia on Tuesday