TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN – 20th of January 2015. An interview with Li Na.
Q. You said that winning the Australian Open last year or making the decision to retire was much more difficult than winning the Australian Open. Beginning with your news yesterday, it feels a lot better now?
LI NA: Yes. When I know that I was feeling, okay, this is the best gift I got. I think it’s a very tough decision for me to make the, say good-bye to tennis, to tennis. But I think now just have to continue to do what I’m doing, to take care of our family. (Smiling.)
Q. How long have you been thinking about retiring?
LI NA: I was thinking about like pretty long. Yeah. And finally I was like, Okay, I think this is best time for me to make it.
Q. You talked about the academy. Does that change anything with respect to your kind of immediate postretirement plans? You talked about the academy and a bunch of different things. Does this impact how all of that is developing?
LI NA: At least I don’t have to answer what goal for this year, you know. So I was feeling more relax. No stressing anymore. Right now I think I’m much happier. Yeah.
Q. How long had you been thinking about starting a family with Dennis? In interviews you often talked about wanting to be a housewife. That was on your mind for how long before retirement?
LI NA: I think for my dream is be a housewife. I think every child they learn from the family. I was learn from my mom, so I was feeling the woman has to be like housewife. But I guess I’m not bad to play tennis. So I was feeling, okay, because tennis was take care a lot. I think now is the time to turn back. Yeah.
Q. How are you feeling? Do you have any morning sickness or any food cravings?
LI NA: Yes, I do. Until now I still have morning sick. Yeah.
Q. Any particular cravings or things you don’t want to eat anymore?
LI NA: No, no. I think I was pretty fine. I was ask my mom what I should care about. She was like, Do whatever you want to do. Don’t care about. She’s strong. So I was, Okay, okay.
Q. She’s a she?
LI NA: She or him. I prefer she. (Laughter.)
Q. Are you going to teach your kids tennis?
LI NA: I will see if they are interested about tennis or not. Yeah, yeah.
Q. If you could have changed one thing in your career, what would that have been?
LI NA: I think I’m perfect for the life. I wouldn’t change anything.
Q. Do you have a single favorite moment that stands out and one moment that was difficult during your career?
LI NA: Of course. I think everyone got that. I think most good memory thing for me is win Australian Open. 2011 I lose in the final. It’s first time I really feeling I can get the trophy. Bad things right after French Open. I think I use half year to stand up again. But I like this experience, yeah. Yeah.
Q. What’s it like to be retired? You once said that you had sort of a lot of beasts within you that you got out on the tennis court and you felt all this pressure to win. What has it been like to leave tennis behind? Are you a different person now?
LI NA: I’m still the same. (Smiling.) Only not with tennis racquet anymore. It’s for me I decide because I cannot play anymore. I still love tennis, so that’s why I always doing the job. Yeah, of course right now I don’t have to worry about win or lose every day. Yeah, it’s less pressure. Yeah.
Q. If you could choose, would you still choose tennis as your career?
LI NA: If I have next life, I will still choose tennis, I will still choose the famous Asian as well.
Q. Why will you not immediately tell your child that you were a tennis player?
LI NA: I think tennis is my job, it’s not their job, you know. I think everyone has personality. Yeah.
