Beijing: Li Na, the “Chinese tennis rebel”, who walked out of China’s powerful tennis establishment in 2008 brushing aside objections from officials to marry her coach has been hailed as national “idol” for her victory in the French Open.
“Li Na is hailed nationwide as an idol on a par with NBA superstar Yao Ming, following her historic victory in Paris that made her the first Asian tennis player to lift a grand slam singles title,” a commentary in the state run Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.
While there was no official encomium from the top leadership for her extraordinary feat of becoming the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam, the state television telecast her matches live while the official newspapers praised her to the sky.
Early this year, Li Na had ruffled many feathers by yelling back at some of the Chinese supporters for asking her to change the coach when she played a poor shot at the finals Australian Open where she lost to Kim Clijsters. (PTI)
