"Andre Agassi has long hair & I was like, now I see tennis player was free... he didn't care what people say" - When Li Na spoke about her 'idol'

Back in July, the Chinese tennis icon Li Na revealed that her tennis idol was the eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi.

Li Na retired from professional tennis in 2014. During her career, she won two Grand Slam titles: the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open.

In an interview as part of the "My Wimbledon Memories" series, Li Na expressed that her tennis idol is Agassi, emphasizing her admiration for his playing style on the court.

She recalled watching him on TV when she was younger and being captivated by his long hair and carefree spirit, as he didn't concern himself with what people had to say.

"My idol, Andre Agassi, yeah," she said.

"I love the way he plays on the court. When I was very young I saw on a television, I saw 'oh a tennis player can be like that' you know? Because during that time he had long hair and I was like 'oh ok' now I see tennis player was free you know? He didn't care about what people say and he will just do it his way," she added.

Agassi was a former world No.1 and won eight Grand Slams, including four Australian Opens, two US Opens, one Wimbledon and one French Open. He also won a gold medal for the United States at the 1996 Olympics.

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Li Na's first Grand Slam triumph

2011 French Open

Li Na, who is currently 41 years old, had a remarkable career. She won her first Grand Slam in 2011 at the French Open, making her the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title.

In the first round of Roland Garros, she faced and defeated Czech tennis star and 2023 Wimbledon doubles champion Barbora Strýcová. She progressed to the second round and defeated Spanish tennis player Sílvia Soler Espinosa.

She then faced Sorana Cîrstea in the third round and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová in the fourth round, emerging victorious in both matches.

Her opponent in the quarterfinals was Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka, and Li Na won the match 7-5, 6-2, setting up a semi-final encounter with five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova and won the game 6-4, 7-5.

In the finals, she faced off against Francesca Schiavone, who was the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam and also the defending champion. The Chinese won the game 6–4, 7–6(7–0).