Li Na plans to stay with the current coach till her retirement – Tennis News
Asia’s only Grand Slam champion, Li Na, has said that she hopes to retain her new coach, Carlos Rodriguez, till her retirement.
The Chinese super star said in a recent interview, "I want to play better than before, that's why I hired Carlos. I don't want to end up my career like this because I expect more from future.”
Li, who created history by becoming the first player, male or female, from Asia to win a Major by grabbing last year’s French Open title, used to be coached by her husband. However, after going down in the first round of the London
Olympics, Li decided to change.
Results were quick for the Chinese player, as she won her first title in the preceding 14 months at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. She also reached the title match at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, losing to Petra Kvitova
in the final. Though, she was stunned by the Rising British sensation, Laura Robson, in three sets 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 in the third round of the US Open.
Li added, "Last year my form was kind of like roller coaster, and I'm more consistent this season. Carlos has confidence in me and he has started to give tactic advice to me, which helps a lot. I really wish I can cooperate with
him until retirement."
The 30-year-old captured her maiden Grand Slam last year but she was very inconsistent in her performance if we look at the complete season. Either she used to go beyond the last-eight stage or fell before that at most of the events.
Li married her former coach, Jiang, in 2006 and he coached her to the heights of the tennis world but the Chinese woman thinks that he can only be her hitting partner and manager now.
She went on to say, "Jiang is not out of my career completely as he still serves as my hitting partner. Besides, he can take care of my life, like a manager."
Currently ranked eighth in the world, Li will feature at her home event in Beijing next week.
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